


Syverson

by SillyRabbit81



Category: British Actor RPF, Henry Cavill - Fandom, Sand Castle (2017)
Genre: Anal, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Daddy Kink, Erotica, F/M, NSFW, POV Male Character, POV Original Female Character, Rope Bondage, Slow Burn, Smut, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-27 02:28:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 29
Words: 72,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30115776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SillyRabbit81/pseuds/SillyRabbit81
Summary: "No trouble at all, Victoria." Her name felt sweet in my mouth."You can call me Vix," she said. "Only my Daddy calls me Victoria."My eyebrows rose. "Ain't you too old to call your father, Daddy?" I asked.She curled her finger in a come here gesture. I bent my head down so my ear was near her lips. "I wasn't talking about my Father," she whispered.After retiring from the US Army, Captain Syverson felt tied down in his life back home. He decided to travel to Australia to spend time with a friend he had made in Iraq. His friend decides to set him up with Vix.Vix, a feisty tattoo artist, has just been through a rough break-up with her boss when her friends set her up with Sy.When they meet at a party, the sparks fly.
Relationships: Captain Syverson (Sand Castle)/Original Character(s), Captain Syverson (Sand Castle)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 10





	1. Syverson and Victoria

#### Syverson

God damn, sand gets everywhere.

I thought I liked beaches. I used to enjoy beaches. Now I hate sand, and beaches suck.

The wind off the ocean was nice, though. I laid down on my towel under the hot sun and let it dry me.

"How goods the surf?" Softy asked. 

I'd spent enough time with Softy to know that what he means is the surf is great. Since I don't surf and don't know jack about it, I just grunted in reply and kept working on my tan.

"You're gonna burn, mate."Softy said.

"You talk too much, Softy," I said, but I got up anyway. I tried to flick the sand off the towel and ended up covering myself in more God damn sand.

"I'm just looking out for you. You're not gonna pull a root if you look like a lobster." He had a point. I needed to get laid. It had been too long.

We tried to rinse the sand off at the outdoor shower, but there was so much of it on the ground that it didn't work. I put my flip flops on, and we walked back to Softy's place.

I met Softy in Iraq. He was Australian Army, and we did a few missions with them. They were good, well-trained soldiers and Softy and I bonded over Lynyrd Skynyrd. We kept in touch through WhatsApp group chats and Instagram. Mostly by sending gross-out pics, porn and memes, so although we have been friends for years, I didn't know him well.

I should have just found my own place, but Softy wouldn't hear of it. He said he had a spare bedroom and would be insulted if I didn't stay for a few weeks. When he said he lived five minutes from the beach, I agreed. I thought I liked beaches.

"We still going to that party at your girl's place?" I asked before I changed.

"Yeah, mate."

"You know I hate parties."

"Well, you've got two choices. One, come to my girlfriend's party where she's invited all her single friends, and they invited all of theirs. A party where I guarantee the girls will be lining up for a taste of the US Special Forces experience. Or two, you can stay home and have Mrs Palmer shows you a good time."

"I'm going. I'd rather go to a bar, is all." There was no way I could go much longer without getting laid. It had been months. It didn't bother me if I went months without sex on deployment because I had other things on my mind. Once I had taken my retirement, though, it was all I could think about.

"Pub, you want to go to a pub. A bar is a place in the pub you get the beers or an establishment that caters exclusively for wankers." Softy explained for the fifth time.

"Right," I said. "I want to go to a pub."

"Well, you're either an alco or a creep if you go to a pub by yourself, mate, so since I'm not going to the pub, you've got no choice, do you?" Softy said, grinning.

I had a proper shower, even giving my short hair and beard a good scrub. I got dressed in some boots, jeans and a black t-shirt. It was a hot afternoon, but I wasn't ready to embrace the board shorts that most of the guys around here seemed to wear. I had a quick look in the mirror and realised Softy was right. I could already tell I had burned. "Fuck."

I went out to see Softy and ask him which girls would be up for a good time. Having some names ahead of time should speed up the process. 

"Depends, on what level of difficulty you want, mate."

"Give me the options."

"Righto. Well, Level One, Easy. You've got Chrissie. There probably isn't a guy at the party she hasn't fucked."

"Including you?" I asked.

"Including me."

That surprised me. I thought girls were more territorial than that. "While you were with Jess? Why is she invited then?"

"Nah, back in high school before Jess and I got together. If she's there alone, she will go home with you. Hell, even if she's there with someone, she might go home with you. It's happened before." She sounds like more trouble than she's worth. "From all reports, though, she's a terrible lay. I wasn't gonna judge her on our high school root, but apparently, she hasn't gotten any better. She's a starfish."

That didn't sound appealing. I prefer a girl who at least appears like she's into it. "Level Two then?"

"You've got more options. I reckon Vanessa or Sammie. Both are keen for a root but more choosy than Chrissie. I hear they are both decent lays too. They're both pretty cool girls, good fun. I'd go for Vanessa personally, but both are a bit of alright."

"Vanessa or Sammie. Got it."

"Wanna hear about Level 3: Hard Mode?" His face says I do.

"Go on then," I said, giving him a grin.

"Jess's best mate and roommate, Vix."

I made a face. "What kind of name is Vix?"

"Her name is Victoria." Softy said. His grin tells me there is more to it than that.

"Why is she hard mode? She a prude or something?"

"Nah, mate, not at all. I've seen her lingerie hanging on the clothesline. Wink, Wink." Softy is grinning like a mad man.

"So why is she Level 3?"

"All us boys have been trying to get into her pants since high school. Not one of us got close. Oh, I tell a lie. Robbo made out with her earlier this summer, but that's it."

"Does she date?"

"Yeah, just never any of our guys."

"Is she a bitch?"

"Nah, she's awesome. She's almost one of the boys, stays at parties till the sun comes up, doesn't get offended by our shit, even joins in. She's come to strip clubs with us, got lap dances and everything." She was starting to sound interesting.

"Is she gay?"

"Nah, I think she likes to look at girls but is into men. Jess swears she's not gay. Plus, she's only taken boyfriends to parties before, never girls."

"Is she good-looking?"

Softy shrugged. "Yeah, but she's got a look. If you don't like the look, you won't like her. But all the boys think she's hot." Softy laughed, "you're gonna go for Level Three, aren't ya?"

"You know I love a challenge," I replied with a grin.

#### Victoria

I looked at myself in the mirror again. Pretty good. It was too hot for anything better. I would have preferred to leave my hair down, but it was too thick. I reapplied my lipstick and put some more powder on my nose. It was just too hot for more make up than that and eyeliner.

I went into the backyard to help Jess. She was struggling to empty a bag of ice into the esky. I helped her.

"You should have waited for Peter," I told her, already feeling like I would start sweating again.

"But the ice will melt."

"Just put the bag in the esky and get Pete to do it when he gets here," I said, exasperated. She was anxious already.

"Yeah, you're right. I want Pete to have a good party and not have to do anything."

"It's fine, Jess. Just cause it's his birthday doesn't mean he's suddenly a child. Asking him to put ice in an esky isn't exactly difficult. You can ask his Seppo mate if you don't want to ask him."

"But I haven't even met him yet. I can't ask him to help out when he's a guest." Jess was wringing her hands. Literally. She's the only person I know who does that. I thought it was a made-up thing that sounded good in books until I saw her do it.

"Ask one of the other boys to do it then. Come on, Jess, don't get worked up. Let's get those salads sorted." Jess stressed less when her mind was occupied.

I started chopping up the cabbage for a coleslaw. Jess kept giving glancing over at me like she had something to say and didn't know how to say it. "What?" I asked her, getting fed up.

"You know Pete wanted to set you and Sy up," Jess said, trying to sound bored. I knew that tone. She was trying to work out how I would feel about it.

"Oh yeah? What makes Pete think I'd be interested in one of his meathead mates?"

"'Cause you like meatheads," Jess said, amused. She wasn't wrong.

"I am capable of finding my own hookups," I said, annoyed.

"I know. That's why I told him not to do anything." Jess was lying.

"Jess, if this guy is coming tonight thinking I'm his date or something..."

"I told you we didn't set you up. Pete just thinks you'll like each other."

The doorbell rang. Jess jumped, anxious again. I sighed, "I'm done with the cabbage. Start on the carrot, ok? I'll get the door."

It was the entertainment. I let the DJ/Karaoke guy in. Our whole group was really into Karaoke. We always had Karaoke at birthday parties, and we always sang Khe Sanh last. We all got really into it. We used to even make up routines for songs a few years ago. We didn't do that much anymore. The only exception to that was Stop by Spice Girls.

Our group was made up of Jess and Pete, who had dated since leaving school, Chrissie, Robbo, Yobbo, Mikey and myself. Others had joined throughout the years, and now about 15 of us were regulars at our get-togethers, plus another 20 or so who were coming tonight. It was a great mix of people, but it was falling apart in some ways. Mikey's misses Leanne, she had a kid last year, so they didn't come around as often. They would be coming to this party because it was Pete's birthday. I was looking forward to seeing little Milo again.

I helped Jason, the DJ, set up then told Jess I would sort the yard out. I took out all the plastic chairs and put them in small groups. I brought out the ashtrays and garbage bins. I tested the fairy lights and found one of them was busted. I sighed and looked down at my black peep-toe shoes and wondered if it was a smart idea to climb onto a chair to take them down.

I decided it wasn't, and I didn't want to fall and flash the DJ. My underwear didn't cover much. I wanted to leave it to Pete to fix when he got here, but Jess had freaked out about him filling eskies. Fuck it. I would have to do it.

I went and got one of those small Ikea step stools and pliers and climbed up. I barely reached.

I worked through the lights, cutting each of the ties until I had reached the last one. It was higher than the others because, of course, it was. My arms were tired, and I was groaning with effort as I tried to reach it. My dress had hitched up pretty high, and I hoped I wasn't flashing the DJ.

I would have to ask Pete to put the replacement lights up. This was ridiculous.

I stood on my toes on the top of the stool and reached up as high as I could. I wasn't quite lined up enough, so I shuffled to the left, and just I got it. I snipped off the cable tie. 

"Yes!" I shouted in victory. "Gotcha, you fucker." I said to the tie.

I heard a deep chuckle from behind me. "My, my, my. That's some colourful language, Darlin'," an amused voice drawled. Only one person could sound like that.

Fuck.


	2. Syverson

#### Syverson

Softy and I left to get to his party. Evidently, Jess wanted him there before the party started to give him his birthday present.

When we arrived, Softy let himself in the house. I wondered why these two weren't married and pushing out ankle biters. They had been together for eight years. Softy was also out of the military, so it wasn't the distance thing that stopped them.

Jess was real nice. She seemed like the homemaker type, and by the spread she had put on for tonight, she seemed to want to be one. She was blonde and pretty in a real girl-next-door kind of way. The type of girl you would take home to your momma.

The house was small but immaculate. It had a few kitsch items around like an old record player, a Faster Pussy Cat Kill Kill and Johnny Cash flipping the bird posters and a leopard print throw pillow that seemed out of place. Jess greeted me with a hug and a kiss, saying it was great to meet me, and asked how I was.

"Fine, thank you, ma'am," I said, going straight back to my roots. Since I didn't know Jess, my first instinct was to call her ma'am despite being about ten years younger than me.

Jess giggled, "Ma'am, huh? I don't think anyone's ever called me that before." I was relieved she took it well. Sometimes people bristle at being called sir or ma'am. She went on, "Pete, maybe you should learn some manners from, sorry, what's your first name?"

"Uh," I haven't had anyone, but my family call me by my first name in years. "Sy or Syverson is fine."

"Sy then. Well, it's great to meet you."

"You too, ma'am." I winked at her, and she giggled again. At least I haven't completely lost my touch.

"Oi, that's enough, Sy." Softy said with a smile. He knows me well enough that I'd never touch his woman. "Where's Vix?" He asked Jess. He gave me a wink.

"She outside helping the DJ, I think. But she's been out there a while. She must be putting the ice in the esky. Pete, will you help her?"

Softy looked at me, his eyebrows raising up and down and his head tilting towards the yard.

"I'll give her a hand," I said. "Through here?" I asked, looking through the glass sliding door.

I didn't need their answer because I saw her. I got what Softy meant about her having a look. She had pretty red hair pulled back into a high ponytail tied with a scarf, and she was wearing a black and white polka dot dress that was tight all over, showing off her Marilyn Munroe figure. Her dress had hitched up and revealed her creamy white thighs. But what made my dick hard was the tattooed line running up the back of her legs that ended mid-thigh with a pretty pink bow. She had many tattoos, including what looks like a half sleeve of a pin-up girl on her left arm.

She was struggling to take down some lights. I watched as she moved her little step stool to the next tie. She climbed up in some black old fashioned looking heels and lifted her arms high, pulling the dress right up again to reveal those pretty little bows.

I opened the sliding door quietly and went out, watching as she got the last tie. It was just that little bit too high for her. She stretched high and shuffled a bit, then stood on her toes.

I was about to offer her help when I heard the snip of the pliers, and she yelled out, "yes! Gotcha, you fucker."

I was surprised at her language and laughed. "My, my, my. What colourful language, Darlin'."

She froze a second, then got off the stool and turned around. She took my breath away for a moment. She was the sexiest girl I'd seen in years. She had Betty Page bangs and red lips with black eyeliner above big bright hazel eyes. Those eyes flashed with anger, went wide a moment before getting angry again. Darlin' has a temper. I smiled.

"You could have offered to help." She said as she started to roll the lights up.

"My apologies, ma'am. I was just about to when you completed your mission."

"It's not complete yet." She said. " I have to put up another set of lights."

"I'll be happy to help. You got any more of those ties?"

She walked past me. Her heels clicking on the tiled porch made my dick twitch. She went over to a shed and got out a cardboard box with a new pack of lights and ties.

She handed me the box, "thank-you."

She was about to walk away, so I said, "it'll be quicker if you help me." I gave her my best smile, showing her my teeth and everything.

"What do you want me to do?" She put her hands on her hips, and I get a good look at her sleeve. She had a 'Lady Luck' tattoo, a pinup girl in a martini glass with some roses, cards and dice around it. The tattoo went from her shoulder to her elbow.

"Pass me the ties, if you don't mind," I said, opening the box of lights. She kept standing with her hands on her hips. Her foot was tapping on the ground as if she were impatient. She reached up onto her head and pulled down some black cats eye sunglasses onto her eyes. For a brief moment, she could have been a pin-up herself with one hand resting on her hip and the other on her head. I reckon I'll never get that image out of my mind.

"Alright." She said. I got up on her stool, hoping like hell it could take my weight. I put my hand out to her, and she put one of the cable ties in my palm. She was careful not to touch me as her red fingernails dropped the cable tie into my hand. From this angle, I could see down the front of her dress. Dang, she had nice looking tits too.

"So, you're Victoria?" I said, trying to start her talking. She nodded but didn't say anything more. I clipped off the tie end of the cable tie to tidy it up, got off the stool, and moved to the next spot. "My name's Syverson."

"I know who you are," Vix said. Her sunglasses hid her expression from me, but her voice sounded like she was bored. But the way she was standing up straight with her tits out made me think she was playing me. Or maybe I was out of practice with girls.

"Is that a fact?" I said.

She hummed an agreement. "Pete's told us you'd be staying with him for a while."

"Yes, ma'am. I'm fixin' to have an extended vacation. Rest up a bit. I might get a Winnebago and travel around for a time. I haven't made up my mind yet."

Vix nodded but didn't say anything. Softy was right. This girl was hard mode. She wasn't giving me anything to work with. By the time we had gotten to the end of the lights, I was thinking about trying for one of the other girls later tonight. Then I felt her fingertips on my palm, and her nails grazed my skin as she gave me the last cable tie. Her touch sent white lighting through my veins.

I looked down at her. Vix was looking up at me with a sly smile on her face. God damned girl did that on purpose. Her smile grew, and she pulled her glasses down her nose to look me in the eyes. Her eyes were shining in amusement.

"Thank you, Sir," Vix said. Oh, she was good. She pushed her glasses back in place. I fixed the lights with the last tie and got off the stool. "Do you think you could fill the esky's with ice for me?" Vix asked.

"Uh," What the fuck is an esky? I looked around, trying to work out what it was. I felt like an idiot.

Vix tilted her head as if thinking. "The cooler?" She asked, pointing out the row of coolers near the house.

I got off the stool and said, "no trouble at all, Victoria." Her name felt sweet in my mouth.

"You can call me Vix," she said. "Only my Daddy calls me Victoria."

My eyebrows rose. Did she know what she was saying? Her smirk told me she did. My dick got hard again. This fucking girl was making me crazy, and I'd only known her fifteen minutes.

"Ain't you too old to call your father, Daddy?" I asked.

She curled her finger in a come here gesture. I bent my head down, so my ear was near her lips. "I wasn't talking about my Father," she whispered.

Oh, Lord in Heaven. I had to have this girl.

I took a deep breath and straightened up. I brought myself to my full height and crossed my arms. I opened my mouth to reply, and she said, "Thanks, the ice is in the esky, just open the bags and pour it in." She waved and walked to the house. Jesus, she played a good game. I had to give her that.

I watched her walk away. She didn't look back, but the way she swayed her hips when she walked was all for me. I'd bet a million dollars on it.

**********

These Aussie boys seemed to know how to party. Lots of drinkin' and ribbin' on each other. It took a bit of getting used to, seeing they piled on each other. I hadn't heard the word cunt thrown around with such abandon since the last time I'd hung out with Softy. It wasn't just the guys who said to it. Some of the girls did too, but most of them didn't.

I had a chat with Vanessa, and she seemed nice but dull after meeting Vix. Chrissie was just as Softy said, and she would have been good to go after talking to her for 5 minutes. But I knew that if I even hinted at being interested in Chrissie, I'd never get Vix. I didn't even bother trying to talk to the other girl. I couldn't even remember her name.

It was hard to let loose, though. I found it difficult to think about much other than Vix. It didn't matter what I was doing; my eyes would go back to her all afternoon.

She was fascinating to watch too. Vix spoke to the guys a whole lot more than she talked to the girls, other than Jess and Mikey's wife. She drank a lot, mostly Dark and Stormy's in a can. She smoked too. I don't know what it was, but watching her red bee-stung lips wrapped around that cigarette made me turned on as hell. Maybe it was those red fingernails.

Vix even held Mikey's baby for a while. She looked funny, holding him. Vix seemed so maternal, playing peek-a-boo and pretending to eat his chubby fingers. Everything she did made me want to fuck her, including playing with a God damn baby. I didn't think I wanted to have children, but part of my brain went straight to thinking about what she'd look like pregnant with my kid.

She avoided me mostly, which would have discouraged me except that when she caught me looking at her a few times, one side of her mouth would turn up in a half-smile before she would turn her attention away.

When it started to get dark, Vix and Jess put out the food for dinner, and we all went up to serve ourselves food and sat on the plastic chairs eating off our laps. I was starving and piled my plate high with food. I went to grab a bread roll from the basket when bright red nails grabbed the roll I was about to take.

"That was mine," I said with a bit of aggression. I reached for another bread roll.

"Was it?" Vix said with mock innocence. "I'm sorry."

I chuckled, "No, you ain't."

"No, I'm not." She smiled at me and looked up at me through her long eyelashes. "I had to do something to get you to talk to me. You've been watching me for hours and haven't said a word."

I was happy I was sunburned cause it made me blush. Had I been so obvious? "You seemed busy."

"I'm not busy now." She turned and walked away and sat on a chair, crossed her legs and balanced her plate on her thigh. I, of course, followed.


	3. Victoria

Sy followed me over and sat next to me. He was so big he almost didn't fit in the chair. I hid a smirk as I started eating. He had been a bit hard to pin down. His flirting had come on strong when he first spoke to me. Then it was like he had no idea what to do.

I thought he had lost interest, but he'd watched me all afternoon. Sometimes he watched me out of the corner of his eye as he chatted to the boys. Sometimes he sat in a chair, arms folded across his broad chest, his legs spread wide, just watching me. But he never came over to me.

I was surprised that he hadn't tried to talk to me. I was frustrated too, if I'm honest. I gave him some serious signals that I was interested. Maybe it hadn't been a good idea to play with Milo, but he had just been too cute. Maybe I had come on too strong.

At first, I was upset that Jess and Pete had tried to set me up with someone. I was angry when I saw that they had left me alone with Sy. I had been in a somewhat compromising position too. When I had realised he had been watching me, I had been furious. I'd wanted to turn around and smack his face. Then I saw his face, and I was surprised by how attractive he was in that ultra-masculine way that I liked. Maybe Jess and Pete were right to set us up. He was definitely my type. Plus, he was huge. I could imagine what that body would be capable of, and those imaginings made me tingle.

Maybe he was just naturally quiet, but I didn't think so. I didn't believe Sy would be the type to talk my ear off and ramble for hours about boring shit. Quiet and shy, though? No, I don't get from him. He was overwhelmed, maybe, a bit unsure of his place among the group, possibly. More likely, he was sitting back and assessing the situation before making a move.

Whatever the reason, when I saw Sy get up to get food, I decided to make a move myself. But now that we were alone, I took a step back and waited. I got him this far. I wanted to see what he would do from there.

Not much, it seemed. We had both nearly finished eating, and he shovelled food down quicker than anyone I had ever seen. Sy wasn't messy though, just ate fast. I was about to think it was a lost cause when he finally spoke.

"What's with the pin-up girl?" He asked.

I rolled my eyes. Imaginative. I'd never been asked that before. I thought about giving Sy my brush off reply, but I decided to be honest. "I'm an artist, and I think the feminine form is beautiful. Women's bodies are so interesting, sexual and luscious that I've always preferred drawing women."

"You're an artist?" he asked. I was surprised he didn't know. I thought Pete would have told him everything about me.

"A tattoo artist by trade, but I dabble in other mediums," I replied. "Pete didn't tell you all about me when he set us up?"

"He set us up?" He seemed genuinely confused.

"Yeah, at least that's the impression I got from Jess. She denied they were setting us up, saying it was an idea they had but changed their minds. Then when you came outside alone, I thought that Pete had gone through with it at least."

He raised his eyebrows and sat back. Then he reached his arm out and dropped his plastic plate in the bin. He held his hand out for mine and put that one in too. His movements were slow and cautious. It was like he knew how strong he was and was careful all the time not to break things. I hoped he wasn't that careful in bed, or it would be very disappointing. The thought surprised me. I didn't think I'd already decided I'd sleep with him. Maybe not tonight, but after a date or two, I would.

"He mentioned you and a few other girls. Lookin' back on it, he played me into being curious 'bout you." He didn't seem mad when he said it. In fact, he had a small smile on his face. "He probably could have saved his breath. I was curious about you from the moment I laid eyes on you." It shouldn't have made me as excited as it did. He said, curious, not interested.

"Did you get a good look?" I asked, thinking of how I must have looked the first time he saw me.

Sy chuckled. "Probably more of a look than I was entitled to."

I liked the way he spoke. His choice of words was interesting, and so was his speech's rhythm. 

There was a bit of a ruckus at the door, and Robbo came in with a couple of his workmates. I rolled my eyes. Rob always wants to make an entrance. He liked to think of himself as an alpha male. It didn't help that everyone treated him like he was. Everyone always wanted to know where Robbo was, when's Robbo getting here, what crazy shit is Robbo going to do this time?

I still couldn't believe I had made out with him at the start of the summer. Yeah, he was hot, but he was a mate and still acted like a 21-year-old. I blamed alcohol and the bad breakup with Macca for that poor decision. I didn't sleep with my friends. I saw what happened to Chrissie and how things were awkward between the guys after she slept with them. I didn't want sex to get in the way of our friendships.

Part of me always worried about what would happen if Pete and Jess broke up. The group would fall apart if they did. The girls would side with Jess and the boys with Pete. But realistically, the group only had a few years left together before we all got married, had kids, moved away and started seeing each other less and less. It was already happening. I figure I give it three more years, and our only get-togethers would be a camping trip each summer.

I smiled at Sy. He was also looking at Robbo and the noise. He didn't seem impressed and looked back at me and smiled. Not the brilliant teeth smile he had given me before. This one was kind of goofy looking. He didn't show any teeth, but his smile was broad enough that it should have. He looked like such a dag. A sexy dag, but still a dag. 

"Hey Vix," Robbo said, coming over. He may have said hi to me, but his eyes were on Sy. He'd given that same look to my boyfriends when I'd bring them to parties. "Long time no see," he said, finally looking at me.

Robbo leaned down and kissed my cheek as he usually would, but his eyes lingered on my breasts. I pulled my top up. This is why I don't sleep with friends. He greeted me the same way for ten years, and I never felt uncomfortable about it until we made out last year. His breath smelled like bourbon. He had already been drinking before he got here.

Robbo was an angry drunk. He got aggressive quickly and took everything personally. He wasn't like that sober, another reason why I couldn't ever see myself with him. I wasn't going to live my life afraid of my partner when he drank.

"Good Rob, how ya going?" I replied.

Robbo looked at Sy again. His brows furrowed. "Oh, g'day mate," Rob said as if he had just noticed him. He put his hand out to Sy, who stood up and shook it. "Are you a friend of Vix?"

"No, Rob," I said. "This is Pete's mate, Syverson. Sy, Robbo." A brief look of relief swept over Robbo's face. Robbo was getting worse.

Last week Rob had come over and had dinner with Jess and me. He didn't leave after dinner and kept waiting around all night until Jess had to kick him out, telling him we had to go to bed. I knew what he was there for, and so did Jess. She also knew how I felt about him. As soon as he was gone, I told her I owed her one. It was getting to the point where subtle 'no thanks' weren't going to work anymore. Between him and Macca, my love life was getting out of hand.

"Hello," Sy said. "I was fixing' to get a drink. Y'all want one?" Sy asked. I nodded while Robbo held up a full bottle, and off he went.

"Thanks a lot, Robbo," I said and reached into my bag for a smoke.

Rob sat down in the chair Sy had been sitting in. "C'mon Vix. You're not actually into him, are ya?"

I went to light my cigarette, but Rob already had his zippo out. I held up my lighter to him and lit it myself. I shrugged at Rob, "maybe I am, I don't know. I've spoken to him for less than five minutes."

"Look, Vix," Rob started. Oh shit, here it comes. Seeing me talking to Sy must have scared him into making a move. "You gotta know by now I like you. Why don't you let me take you out sometime."

"Sorry, Rob," I said. "I like you but not like that. I told you that before. What happened before was a mistake." 

"It wasn't a mistake," Robbo took my hand. I tried to pull it away, but he wouldn't let me. "It felt right. You must have felt it too."

"Rob, I'd had half a bottle of Vodka. I don't even remember how it felt." I tried to pull my hand away. "Let go of my hand, Rob."

"No, listen to me, Vix," Rob started.

"Rob, let go of my hand. You're drunk, and you'll regret this tomorrow."

"Vix, just give me a chance."

"Let go of her hand, son." Sy was back, and he didn't look happy. He called Rob 'son'. If I wasn't worried that this would end in a fight, I might have found it funny.

Rob didn't find it funny. "This is none of your business, mate."

"Rob," I started, but Robbo interrupted me.

"No, Vix, this is between us. Not him."

"There is no us, Robbo. That's what I'm trying to tell you. Now, please let me go."

"Boy, you should let go of her hand," Sy interjected again. He placed his drink and mine on the ground before standing up again.

Rob let go of my hand, practically throwing it away and stood up in Sy's face. "Or what, mate? Do you wanna go?" Things were escalating quicker than I thought they would. Robbo must have been drunker than I thought if he believes he could take on a guy like Sy.

Sy's face changed. His eyes darkened, his eyebrows came down, and his lips curled into a cruel smile. His body seemed to change too, and a powerful tension seemed to invade his muscles. He looked like a coiled snake ready to strike. He also looked sexy as fuck.

Then Pete was there between them. He put his arm around Robbo, said a few things in his ear, and led him off. Pete was a cop, as well as a former soldier. I suppose if anyone knew how to defuse a potentially violent situation, it would be him. Rob followed but kept looking back at Sy. Pete took Rob to his workmates, and it seemed he was convincing them to leave.

I took a long drag on my cigarette and watched as Rob and his mates left. Thank God for that.

Sy was holding out a can for me. "You alright, Vix?" He asked.

I wasn't sure how I felt. Part of me was pissed at Robbo, and another part of me was pissed at myself for not being straight with Rob at the start instead of trying to let him down gently. The last time shit got that real with the guys had been back about two years ago when Yobbo had gotten so drunk he thought it would be a good idea to throw Robbo in a pool. Robbo had his phone in his pocket and got out of the water so ropable he had punched Yobbo in the jaw, knocking him out.

"I'm fine," I said. I took my drink from Sy. "Thanks. For the drink and for, you know," I said.

"He should have let you go when you told him to."

I shrugged, "there's a history there. He doesn't want to believe there's nothing between us."

"History or not, he should have let you go."

I sighed and then gave myself a shake. The DJ had come out and started to sing. It looked like the Karaoke was about to begin.

"Do you sing?" I asked Sy.


	4. Syverson

"Do you sing?" Vix asked. She had a devilish smile on her face.

"I ain't done much Karaoke." Even the word felt weird in my mouth.

"That's alright," Vix said. "Have a few more drinks, and once everyone sings a few songs, you'll get into it. Nearly everyone does."

She was right. As the evening wore on, the Karaoke was fun. Even funny sometimes. There were many songs I didn't know. Vix explained that the boys liked to sing a lot of what she called 80s Australian pub rock.

Vix had a fantastic voice. She could sing nearly anything and looked good as hell as she did. She sang Lovefool by The Cardigans first. Her voice was breathy and sexy. When she caught my eye and sang a few words to me, I felt a rush of adrenaline, and my heart pounded.

The whole group got really into the songs, and they sang like they were real performances. It didn't matter if their voices sucked or not cause most of them did. They just all seemed to like performing for each other.

A group of the girls, Vix, Jess, Chrissie, Vanessa and one other who I think was the other girl Pete had told me about, sang a Spice Girls song. The Lord knows what song it was, but they stood there in a row and did a dance with all the actions. Vix even looked sexy singing teeny-bopper pop.

I got drunk enough that Pete could convince me to sing Sweet Home Alabama with him. I would have rather sung Simple Man, but Pete was adamant that Alabama was a better choice. The party did get very into it. Vix did too, singing along and dancing. She danced real nice, swaying her ass around. I even sang Fortunate Son by Creedence by myself.

When Vix was up next, the DJ introduced the song as Valarie by Amy Winehouse. I thought she'd sound great singing that, but as she got up and saw the song on the monitor, she blushed hard, her cheeks getting all pink.

She shook her head and said into the microphone, "You're a dickhead, Yobbo."

"You love me, Vix!" He yelled back, laughing.

They all seemed to talk this way to each other. I saw lots of flirting going on with all the guys and gals, but it was apparent, for the most part, that it was just fun. Maybe it was their ages since they were still in their late 20s, and I was very nearly 40, but it seemed strange to me.

Vix laughed, and the music to the Divinyls, I Touch Myself came on. Vix's whole demeanour changed, and she took on a demure, sexy, kittenish look. Once again, the girl made my dick hard quicker than any girl I'd met in years.

She walked around the makeshift stage, dancing as she sang and towards the end of the song, she dragged Yobbo on stage. She danced around him, shimming her body around like she was about to give him a lap dance. Everyone was cheering her on as they had for everyone else. Then she put her arm around Yobbo's shoulders, and they sang the last of the song together. When it was over, they hugged and laughed. Vix went and stood with Jess. Vix lit up a smoke.

I had an idea and went up to the DJ and picked Candy by Iggy Pop and Kate Peirson. Hell, I was drunk enough to do damn near anything, and it seemed like a good idea. She obviously loved this whole Karaoke thing. I had a feeling Vix was the type of girl who liked her autonomy but secretly wanted a guy who would take the lead. Watching her all night made me understand that was why she wasn't interested in these guys. I'll bet she's never been on a date with a guy that wasn't at least five years older than her.

I checked with Softy that she knew the song. The whole thing would fall on its face if she didn't know or like it.

"Mate! That's one of her favs." Softy shook his head. "I knew you'd bloody like her."

I gave him a small smile. "You were right about that." I conceded. "That girl is built like a coke bottle. You were also right that she ain't gonna be easy. She's a God damn tease."

"You wouldn't like her if she wasn't." Softy said. I was surprised at how well he knew me, and I told him so. "You can tell a lot about a man by the type of shit posting he does to his mates. I had you picked for Vix the minute you said you were gonna come out here."

I went over to Vix. She hid her face with one hand and peeked shyly out between her fingers as she saw me approach. She was faking it though, she smiled real wide and stood tall. When Jess saw me going over, she said something to Vix. Jess snuck a peek at me as she walked away, smiling. It's always a good sign if the best friend leaves.

I smiled at Vix, then stood by her side and looked out over the party. "You sing real nice," I told her.

"Thank-you, Syverson." She said. God damn, my name sounded good from her lips. I wondered what my first name would sound like coming from her. She took a drink, seemed to think something over and asked, "do you want to sing a song together?"

I smiled a sly smile at her. "What did you have in mind?"

"I don't know."

"Well, I'm way ahead of you. I just picked a song for us."

Her smile told me I was right. She liked that I had picked a song. She tried to suppress the smile and asked, "what did you pick?"

I shook my head, "it's a surprise."

She rolled her eyes at me but was still smiling. "Ok then, Mr Mysterious."

We stood there in silence, watching one of the guys' butcher Sweet Child of Mine. Then it was our turn. The DJ said it second last song. The party booed, sad it was almost over. They cheered when he called Vix and me to get up.

I watched Vix's face as she saw the song. Her eyes went wide, and she said, "I love this song." She laid a hand on my forearm as she spoke, giving it a little squeeze. It was the first time she had touched me since her fingers had grazed my palm. Her hand was warm on my skin and felt electric. I winked at her and got ready.

"It's a rainy afternoon..." I started, and Vix looked at me with her big hazel eyes. I sang to her, looking her in the eyes. She danced, looking back at me until it was her turn to sing. When she sang, she kept looking at me. Either it was the song, or it was just her natural performer, but I felt it when she sang. I couldn't help myself and wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her in close to me. She felt both delicate and wilful, like a little kitten, as her hips kept moving to the music.

When the chorus hit, and we sang together, she turned, holding my arm against her belly and sang to the party. Her ass rubbed against me as she danced. She was a tease, but God damn, it felt good. 

When the song finished, we handed back the microphones and got off the porch. I took Vix's hand and led her around the side of the house.

"Where are you taking me?" Vix giggled at me. I didn't know where I was taking her, but I knew I needed to be alone with her.

When we were out of sight, I put my arms around her and looked at her to make sure I wasn't wrong. I was drunk, and maybe I had misread her signals. No, she was looking back at me with hooded eyes and was sliding her hands up my arms and around my neck. I kissed her lips gently, restraining myself, giving her a chance to say no. She kissed me back firmly with her soft lips and pressed her body against me. I kissed her back harder, my tongue searching for a way in. She moaned and opened her mouth, her own tongue sliding into mine. When I felt the small hard ball of her tongue piercing, I swear I almost came in my pants. 

My dick throbbed painfully. I pushed it against her body, and she rubbed against me. I moved my hands down to her ass. God damn, her ass felt firm and pert. My hands squeezed at her, and my dick screamed at me.

I kissed Vix softly a moment and let her go. She stumbled a bit, and I put out an arm to steady her. "You ok, Vix?"

"I think you made me dizzy." She smiled at me and went to put her arms around me again.

"Hold up, Sugar," I said with all the self-control I could muster. She put her arms down quicker than a flash and crossed her arms. Vix stuck her bottom lip out in such an adorable pout I almost sucked on her lip. "It's just that, I'm drunk, you're drunk. Maybe we should stop it here."

"Well, aren't you a gentleman," Vix said sarcastically.

I chuckled, "that ain't it."

"What is it then?"

"Well, I thought maybe I could take you on a date?" 

Vix stopped pouting and smiled. "Oh yeah? Where?"

I shrugged, "I'll let you know."

"Maybe I don't want to go on a date?"

"Your mouth was telling me otherwise ten seconds ago," I tell her.

"My mouth was telling you I wanted to get laid," Vix said snarkily.

I laughed at her. "Well, ain't that a daisy."

"Now you're being mean."

"Not mean, Darlin'. Cautious. I want to remember the first time I fuck you." I said with a smirk.

Vix raised an eyebrow and said, "I guarantee you'll remember fucking me for the rest of your life."

My dick screamed at me again. This God damn girl was a vixen. "Vixen," I said, finally working out her nickname.

"Clever boy," Vix said, snaking her arms around me again. I let her, but I wasn't going to be persuaded. I was too drunk to have sex, despite what my screaming cock thinks. I didn't know if a girl like Vix would give a second chance to a guy who didn't perform.

"So, how about that date?" I asked again.

Vix rolled her eyes, but I knew I had won. "Alright," she sighed playfully. "When?"

"Friday night?" I suggested, then kicked myself. It was only Saturday, and I didn't want to wait a whole week to see her again. I ran my hands down her waist and hips. She had killer curves.

Vix shook her head. "No good. I work until 10 pm."

"I'll pick you up from work at ten," I tell Vix. I moved my hands to her ass again and kissed her quickly. I pulled away before it got out of hand again.

I walked Vix back to the party, holding her hand, but things seemed to be wrapping up. I got my phone out and put her number in and her work address. Softy was spending the night with Jess, so I called a cab for myself.

I said good-bye to Softy and a few of the guys and thanked Jess for a great party. Softy wriggled his eyebrows at me when he saw me holding Vix's hand. "Are you guys going back to my place?" He asked me quietly.

I shook my head, "just me. We're going out Friday night, though." Softy gave me a subtle high-five. 

"I'll bring Jess back to my place then." Softy said, "You'll have this place to yourselves."

Vix walked me outside to wait for the cab. I stood behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist. I leaned into her neck and kissed her there, drinking in her sweet coconut perfume. She smelt so good, and my mouth started to water.

She giggled and wriggled in my arms. I stopped kissing her. "Don't stop," Vix said. "Your beard tickles. I like it."

I kissed her neck again, nipping at her skin with my teeth. She wriggled against me like a kitten again, making me all hot. I turned her around and kissed her mouth. The cab pulled up, and with a groan, I let her go.

"I'll see you Friday night, Victoria."

She smiled and gave a little wave. "Good night, Syverson."

"Noah," I told her as I got into the cab. "My name is Noah."


	5. Victoria

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a minor sexual assault at the end of this chapter. No details are given, but it happens.

I woke up Sunday morning with a mild hangover. I went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth, hoping it would get the shitty taste from my mouth. It didn't work nearly as well as I had hoped.

I went to the kitchen, made a coffee and cooked a fry-up of bacon, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, baked beans and toast. I served three plates up, covered two with foil for Jess and Peter, then went out on the back verandah and ate.

I looked at my phone. I had five missed calls from Rob and ten drunken messages about how sorry he was and how he wants to make it up to me. I sent a message telling him to apologise to Pete and leave me alone.

There was a message from my ex/boss, Macca. He just said he needed to book one of his mates in with me after hours on Wednesday. Great, there goes four hours of my afternoon having to sit with my boss and some bikie talk about all the rooting and drugs they did back in the day. At least I would get paid for having to listen to those conversations, unlike when we were dating.

No message from Sy, though. I shouldn't expect one so soon, but I was disappointed. I really liked him. He had been a lot of fun and fit in well last night. He was a fair bit older than me, but that was usually a plus. He was very confident in himself but didn't appear arrogant. He could take a joke and could flirt pretty well. Of course, his amazing body and good looks helped. And my God, he could kiss.

I sighed as I looked over the backyard. There wasn't too much cleaning up to do. Most people had used the bins I had put out. I smoked a cigarette and finished my coffee before I started cleaning the yard.

*******************

"So, tell me what happened with Sy," Jess asked after Pete went home. It was after dinner, and the two of us were watching Netflix with the air-con blasting.

"Well, not much really, we kissed, and it was really good, like hot as fuck good. I'm pretty much ready to go with him back to Pete's place, and he stops and asks me out for a date."

"What did you say?"

"I said I would, and that was it."

"Really?" Jess asked. "He didn't try and take you back to Petes?"

"Nope," I said, feeling a bit confused about it still.

"He seemed keen, though."

"I thought so too. I pretty much told Sy I'd fuck him, and he said no."

Jess raised her eyebrows. "That's weird. Has he messaged you today?"

"No. I'll give it a few days before I worry about it." I was lying. I was worried about it already. I really wanted to hear from him. Maybe I came on too strong. Or perhaps he was so drunk he forgot he asked me out.

Jess nodded. "What happened with Robbo? What was that about?"

I shook my head, "I don't know. He got the shits when I talked to Sy, and then he wouldn't let my hand go. Sy comes up and, get this," I start laughing already. "Sy says to Robbo, 'let go of her hand, son.'"

"Son?" Both Jess and I laugh, and it takes us a few minutes to calm down.

"Yeah, anyway, Rob gets agro about it, and then Pete came, and it was over." I shrugged. "I thought he would leave me alone after that, but I woke up to a ton of messages from him, so who knows."

"What's going on with Macca?"

"Macca is Macca. He brought his new girlfriend into the shop last week. I was relieved, actually. I don't think she's the one he cheated on me with, but he paraded her around and made sure I met her. I'm not sure if he's playing games with me or if he's really over it."

"Are you still going to get a new job?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I feel stifled there. But Macca knows so many people, and I don't know what he has said about me. I think I'm going to have to look out of the area, which means more travel which will suck balls."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Jen worked on the other side of Sydney, and it could take her 45 to an hour to get to work each day.

"Maybe we could move together. I could try and find a job near the hospital if you want."

"I don't think Pete will move away from the beach."

"Did you guys talk more about getting married?" Jess shook her head and looked like she was going to cry. "Oh, Jess, sweetie. I'm sorry."

I hugged her and rubbed her back while she cried. Poor Jess. I don't know why Pete won't marry her. Jess has an old fashioned notion about not living with your partner until you're married, and its caused friction over the years. But it's getting worse. Jess wants kids too. Despite only being 27, she was worried her time is slipping away.

After Jess had a good cry and we watched Nailed It before we went to bed. I had just gotten into bed when my phone rang.

My heart jumped in my throat. It was a number I didn't recognise. I almost let it go through to voice mail, but I remembered I didn't get Sy's number.

"Hello."

"Hi, Sugar Tits." It was Macca, and he sounded speedy. Great.

"Hi, Macca. Couldn't this wait until the morning? Whose phone are you calling from."

"I got a new number, just calling to let you know."

"Again?"

"Yeah, new provider and all that."

"You could have just texted me."

"Yes, but then I wouldn't be able to hear your lovely voice. Also, I didn't know if you got my message last night about Boots."

"The mate you want me to tattoo? Yeah, I got it. Sorry I didn't reply. I was just going to tell you tomorrow it was ok."

"Well, he's here now pestering me, so I thought I'd call you and check."

"It's fine. I'm in bed, so I'll talk to you tomorrow, ok?"

"Want to come back to my place on Wednesday after the job's done? We could get lit."

I rolled my eyes. "Macca, I've got jobs on Thursday and don't you have a girlfriend?"

"You know I'd rather have you."

"Goodnight Macca, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Why don't you come over now? You can have the week off, and we can hang out at my place."

"Sorry, Mac, I'm going to bed." I hung up, annoyed. I wasn't used to this crap. I should never have gotten involved with Macca. I knew enough not to shit where you ate, but he had been so charming when I first worked with him, and he eventually wore me down, and we dated. Then I fucked up when I found out Macca had cheated on me and got so wasted I kissed Rob. I need to get off my arse and get a new job, so I don't have to see Macca all the time.

My phone rang again. It was a number I didn't know, and I assumed it was Macca calling back.

"Look, I told you nicely. I'm not interested. Don't make me tell you to fuck off."

"Well, alright then, Darlin'." It was Syverson.

"Sy," my breath sped up. "Sorry, I didn't realise it was you."

"Was it that guy from last night?"

"No." I chewed my lip. "It was my boss."

"Strange way to talk to your boss."

"He's also my ex."

"I see." He's thinking I'm a whole lot of trouble, isn't he?

"He cheated on me," I said quickly.

"Well, he must be a few sandwiches shy of a picnic." I could hear the smile in his voice.

I smiled too. Sy wasn't worried. "What are you up to?" I asked, changing the subject.

"I'm just about to hop into bed. I wanted to hear your voice before I did."

"Aww, you miss me already?" I teased.

"I'd be a fool if I didn't, and my Momma didn't raise fools."

I blushed. Sy was good. "I'm looking forward to Friday," I said. "Where are we going?"

"I ain't telling."

"Another surprise," I said. "Do you like surprises?"

"Sometimes. I like surprising pretty little kittens like you."

I felt myself getting all hot, and I loved how he talked. He was so suggestive it made my toes curl. "At least tell me what to wear."

"Something like what you wore to the party would be appropriate."

"And under that?" I asked, teasing.

"Hmm. Why don't you surprise me."

I laughed. "Ok, I will."

"Well, I'll let you get some sleep, Darlin'. Goodnight."

I said goodnight to Sy, but I had no idea how I would sleep. 

*************

Macca didn't show for work on Monday or Tuesday. I was relieved. It meant he found some other girl to warm his bed, which meant he would leave me alone again. I thought about ignoring Maccas phone call, but I had the feeling that wasn't going to be the end of it. It's the second time since I had broken it off with him that he had gotten bored and tried to get me back.

When Macca doesn't show for work, I often have to wrangle shit at the shop. The counter girls, who are always young, pretty and straight out of high school, are always trying to slack off when he's not in, trying to get out of cleaning duties or taking too many breaks. Although I got paid pretty well, I didn't get paid enough to be a manager, but I couldn't stand the shop being dirty. It made the artists look bad. Not to mention then, I was also responsible for the money at the end of the day. Luckily, most people know enough not to steal cash from a tattoo shop and the till usually adds up.

I put out some feelers with other artists I knew to see if any jobs were going. There were a couple of places that looked interesting. I sent enquires to one shop with a link to my socials for work evidence. They replied a few hours later and wanted to meet with me next week.

I spent a lot of time thinking about Sy while I worked. So much so that I found myself drawing Syverson at the workbench on Wednesday afternoon. I drew him as I remembered him, his face in profile, standing with his arms crossed over his broad chest in his black t-shirt, jeans and boots. I added a cigarette packet peeking out of his t-shirt sleeve, and I rolled the bottom of his jeans up. I gave him a pompadour but still short hair on the sides and made his beard a bit neater. I added a 'Momma' love heart tattoo. I drew a frame around it. Now I just had to find someone to tattoo it to.

I felt someone breathing on my neck, and I turned around and saw Macca peering over my shoulder. "That's good, Vix. Who's the dude?"

"The man of my dreams, Mac," I said dismissively. "Nice of you to show up." He looked awful, deep purple bags under his red-rimmed eyes. His skin was pale and dry, his hair could do with a wash, and he appeared to have slept in his clothes.

"I was sick," Macca said without the common decency to even pretend to be apologetic. When he was like this, I don't know what possessed me to date him in the first place.

"A phone call would have been nice," I told him, slipping my drawing in my bag.

Macca shrugged. "Are you still ok to do the tattoo for Boots?"

I nodded and pulled out my iPad to draw the stencil up. "Is he here?" Macca nodded and brought him in.

A few hours after doing yet another Ned Kelly tattoo, Macca and I were closing up. He had paid me for the day, and I had packed up, so I went into Macca's room to tell him I was leaving. He was smoking meth from a glass pipe and offered me some.

"No, thanks," I told him. "That shit messes me up for days."

"I have some coke if you want," Macca offers.

I shook my head, wanting to be out of there. There were always drugs around in my line of work, and though I have been known to partake, I definitely don't want to do drugs with Macca ever again. That's how I ended up sleeping with him the first time. "I suppose you won't be in tomorrow?"

"Come back to my place, Vix," Macca said, ignoring my question. His pupils were so big his brown eyes were nearly black.

"When was the last time you slept?" I asked.

"Monday night." He replied. Only one day without sleep. That's not so bad.

"Why don't you stop now and try and get a few hours tonight, ok, Mac?"

Macca reached out and took my hand. "You were always looking out for me, Vixy. I miss you."

I rolled my eyes. "Maybe next time you find a girl you like, don't stick your dick in another girl." I tore my hand away, and he was on his feet. His hands were on my shoulders, pushing me against the wall. I was scared now. He had been aggressive with me in his behaviour and words before, but never physically.

"I told you it wasn't my fault." His voice was vicious, and little flecks of spittle came out as he spoke. "I fucking love you, Vix." Then he kissed me. He pushed his tongue into my mouth, and it was coarse and dry like sandpaper in my mouth. My stomach heaved. I tried to push him away, but he was too strong. His hands were up my skirt, touching me, trying to get into my underwear.

I brought my hands up and pressed my thumbs into his eyes.

"Bitch!" He screamed. He let me go, clutching at his eyes.

I ran.


	6. Syverson

Softy was having dinner at Jess's place on Wednesday night and invited me to go along. I said no at first as I didn't want to intrude. But Softy said I should go because Vix would be happy to see me.

When we got to Softy's house, Jess looked a little disappointed that I was there. "Sorry, Sy, Vix is working late today. I told you that, didn't I, Pete?"

"Oh shit, yeah, you did." He looked at me, and I could tell he didn't forget. "Sorry, mate."

"That's alright. I'll just get. Sorry, Jess."

Jess pulled me into a hug and kissed my cheek in greeting. "Absolutely not, Sy. There's plenty for the three of us." I thanked her and stayed, but I wanted to get out of there. Something was going on with Softy. It wasn't any of my business. I just didn't want to be dragged into it.

We ate in pretty uncomfortable silence for a while. I felt terrible for poor Jess, so I asked her about her job, and she said she was an ER nurse. Somehow we started talking about the weirdest things she had seen. She told me stories about some of the crazy stuff people put up their butts, and dinner was more comfortable after that.

Softy and I were getting ready to leave when we heard the front door slam, and Vix came running into the kitchen. Her eyes were red, and she looked like she had been crying. 

Vix was as beautiful as I remembered, even when she looked upset. She had red pumps on, fishnet stockings, a black pencil skirt and a red top that showed her shoulders. Her hair was out and fell in soft waves around her face.

Vix's eyes went wide when she saw me. "Sy," she whispered. Then she looked at Jess and Softy and said, "I'm just going to... Goodnight." She looked at me one more time, then turned on her heels, left, and another door slammed.

Whoever made her cry like that deserved to have their teeth removed without anaesthesia. I wanted to go to her and hold her and make her feel better. I wanted to see her smile again. But she needed her friends, not some guy she had just met, so I stayed in my chair. I crossed my arms against my chest, and my leg bounced with frustration.

Jess followed her without saying a word, leaving Softy and me alone.

"I wonder what that's about," Softy said.

I shrugged and said with more aggression than I should have, "I shouldn't have come. Why'd you bring me?" I wish I had never seen Vix like that. It was worse than when I had seen that dick holding onto her hand and not letting go. She seemed so strong like nothing phased her. Either I was wrong about that, or something real bad had happened.

"I'll tell you later," Softy said, looking a bit ashamed. Jess came back.

"Is Vix ok?" Softy asked.

Jess nodded. "Just some shit with Macca again."

"What happened this time?" Softy asked.

Jess glanced at me. "She didn't say."

I took the hint and got up. I needed to get my own car. Following Softy around was not working out for me. "I'm going to go. I'll call a cab outside. Thanks again for dinner, Jess." I didn't give them a chance to say no, I just went out the front door.

Vix was sitting on a bench on the front porch, smoking a cigarette. She had her legs curled up underneath her, and if she hadn't been crying, she would have looked like one of those girls you see on pulp detective novels.

I looked back inside, thinking I should get Jess. Vix had sent Jess away, though hadn't she? But looking at her face with those tears on her cheeks, I wanted to be the one to make her feel better. I felt like a selfish asshole, she didn't need me, but I wanted her to need me. "May I sit?" I asked.

She nodded, and I sat on the end of the bench and looked out onto the street. It was a warm night, but not as blistering hot as it had been on the weekend. Since the sun went down, it was almost chilly. Vix finished her cigarette and immediately lit another.

A truck drove by, and I said to Vix, "I'm thinking about getting one of those trucks."

"You mean ute?"

"Yeah. Ute." I smiled at her, "I'm getting sick of Softy driving me everywhere or asking to borrow his car. Besides, I'd like to pick you up on Friday in my own car." Vix furrowed her eyebrows and frowned. "If you don't want to go out, that's a shame, but I'll understand."

"It's not that. I want to go out with you." Vix said. I grinned with relief, and she chuckled. The sound melted me. "You look silly when you smile like that."

I crossed my eyes and raised my top lip, and pulled my lips back. "Is this better?" She laughed a real laugh, and I smiled a genuine smile. I'd run through Time's Square without a lick of clothes to hear that laugh.

"I like that one," Vix said and stubbed her cigarette out. She scooted over to me, raised my arm and put it over her shoulder. She leaned her head into my chest and sighed. I rubbed her arm, and we sat like that for a few minutes. I tried real hard not to get a boner.

"I quit my job. Pick me up here on Friday at seven, ok?" Vix tilted her head up, rested her chin on my chest and looked at me with her big eyes. She had a golden ring around her pupil, and the rest of her iris was bright green.

"Sure will, Darlin'." I took Vix's chin between my thumb and index finger, and I kissed her gently before letting her go. I put my hand on the back of her head and gently guided it back on my chest. Vix put her arms around my waist and snuggled into me. I stroked her hair a bit and rubbed her bare shoulder.

Vix yawned, and though I didn't want her to go anywhere, I said, "you best get to bed now. Seems to me you've had a long day."

I got Vix to stand up and walked her back to her door. "Stay with me?" Vix asked. She looked so downhearted I couldn't say no. I was a selfish prick.

"Just until you fall asleep."

"What if I don't want to sleep." Her eyes shined. She was such a God damn flirt. I didn't care. She was adorable.

"Well, I ain't fucking you, Sweet Pea. If that's what you're wanting from me."

"Why not?" Out came her petulant bottom lip. I suppose she doesn't get many guys saying no to her.

"Look, I don't know what happened to you to make you so upset, but I'm not gonna take advantage of it."

"It's not taking advantage if that's what I want."

"You might want it now cause you're upset and want to feel better. But by the morning' you might feel different." Vix huffed and tried to protest, but I went on. "And maybe I don't want you to have sex with me because you want to feel better. I'd feel used" I winked at her.

"Alright, just until I'm asleep."

We went into Vix's room, and she told me to wait there while she got ready for bed. She went to the bathroom and came back with her hair in two braids and wearing PJs.

To call them PJs was generous. They were just tight pink short shorts and a tiny pink top with a cat on it that showed her midriff. She wasn't wearing a bra, and her perky nipples stood out beneath the nearly see-through fabric of her top. They were both pierced, and the little metal bars were obvious beneath the top. And I had thought her tongue ring was hot. Keeping my hands to myself was going to be hard. She looked cute as a button and sexy to boot.

Vix got in bed, and I took my shoes off and laid on top of the sheet and thin cotton blanket. She laid on her side, and I spooned her, carefully placing my arm under her pillow and the other on her hip. Vix laced her fingers between mine and moved my hand from her hip to her belly. I could feel her soft, smooth skin, and my dick got hard.

I moved my hips away from her ass so she couldn't feel it. Vix moved back, and her ass was against my dick again. The God damn girl knew what she was doing to me and didn't care. In fact, from the small hum she gave, she liked what she was doing. I stayed as still as I could and tried to get my dick to go down.

Vix moved her hand and mine between her breasts, and I could feel the weighty curve of her tits. Fuck. My dick was throbbing, desperate for attention, and Vix wriggle her ass against me. I knew then what she was doing. She did what some of us did when we got home from deployment. We wanted to forget what happened and to feel good for a time. It didn't matter who made us forget; we just needed to.

"Victoria," I said to her, my voice full of warning. I felt like my control was slipping through my fingers like water.

"Yes, Syverson," she said my name and I felt my balls twinge. Vix rolled over until she was facing me. She had a little smirk on her face.

I couldn't resist her anymore. I pressed my lips against hers, and she opened hers. I let my tongue explore her mouth, feeling that little stud. I pushed my hips into her and rolled her onto her back, pinning her with my body.

"You're such a God damn tease," I told her. Vix moaned. I kissed her neck, and she giggled as my beard tickled her. I cupped her tit in my hand and ran my thumb over the small hard bud her nipple had become. My thumb flicked the horizontal metal bar, and the moan that came from her throat almost sent me over the edge. I had to stop.

I sat up and pulled the sheet away. Her body was writhing, desperate for more. Vix had opened her legs, and the tiny tight shorts she was wearing were tight against her pussy. I could see the outline of her luscious lips, and I wanted to know what they were hiding. Without thinking, I put my palm against her, and she rocked her hips against it. She held me between her legs, closing them around my hand, trapping it as she rode against me.

Vix's eyes caught mine, and she seemed desperate for the release she was searching for. I didn't want to deny her anymore, and my dick begged to be inside her. But I couldn't, not yet. I wanted to have her for the right reason, not because she just needed to fuck to feel better. But I wouldn't leave her like this in pain either.

I took a deep breath and stilled her by placing a hand on her hips and removed my hand from between her legs. Vix started to protest. I said, "it's alright, Victoria. I'll give you what you want."

I sat with my back against the headboard of her bed and patted my lap. Vix got on my lap, facing me, her legs straddling me. I felt the heat of her sex through my jeans, and I almost gave in. I shook my head and said, "face the other way, Victoria." Her face was confused, but she did what I told her to.

"Good girl." I cooed in her ear. Vix mewled as I kissed her neck again, and her breath caught in surprise as I raised and spread my knees, forcing hers to do the same. I wrapped my hand around her throat gently, and I felt her satisfied hum in my palm. She responded to every touch. Her every movement and noise thrilled me. I moved my hand down her stomach to her shorts and slid my fingers into her waistband.

"Sy," Vix whispered, her voice pleading with me. "Please, Sy." She didn't have to beg. Nothing was going to stop me from touching her now that I was this close. My fingers felt a small triangle of hair on her mound, and I closed my eyes, imagining what it must look like. For a moment, I wanted to push her on her knees and fuck her, but no, this was for her.

My fingers moved lower, and they felt her warm, wet folds. I had to stop a moment there to control myself. I was teetering on the edge, nearly breaking out in a sweat. I slipped a finger inside her, and her walls gripped me, sending my balls trembling. Her breath sped up, as did mine and pushed a second finger into her.

Vix rocked her hips, trying to get more of me. I gave it to her, pushing my two fingers into her as far as I could, feeling her stretch around me. She cried out a short sound that seemed both from pleasure and pain. I moved my fingers inside her, feeling as much of her as I could, exploring what she felt like inside.

With only some regret, I pulled my fingers out, and they glided smoothly up her wet slit to her clit. The little nub felt hard against my fingers as I moved them over it. I tried a few ways while I watched and listened to her response until I found the one she seemed to like most. I moved my fingers in little circles, and her body responded. Her back arched, and her hands gripped my arm, holding me tight.

I held her throat firmly and used my other arm to keep her body close to mine as I worked her to climax. I felt her struggle against me, but I held her firm, and her thighs began to tremble against mine. "Are you going to cum, Victoria?" I whispered in her ear. My voice was strained with effort. Controlling myself with her wasn't easy. She nodded. "Be a good girl then and cum for me, lil kitten."

In a few short moments, Vix's body stilled, her thighs still trembled, and her cries increased into a yell. I felt her sex pulse and watched her whole body writhe as she rode out her orgasm. She laid against me, quiet and trembling. My fingers grazed her clit as I removed them from her shorts. She shivered, and a small giggle came from her.

I wanted to taste her, but instead, I wrapped my arms around her and held her to me. She turned around in my arms, curled up in a ball like a kitten, and hugged me back. Her breathing slowed, and soon she was asleep against my chest. I reached over and turned off her bedside lamp and decided to go to sleep with her. I couldn't leave her now.


	7. Victoria

I woke up feeling warm and safe but not able to move. I was confused a moment, then looked down and saw a huge furry arm wrapped around my waist, and I remembered last night. Syverson had stayed all night. I smiled. God, he felt strong even while asleep.

"Mornin'," Sy said lazily in my ear. Not asleep then.

His arm went a little slack, and it allowed me enough movement to roll over, so I was looking at him. "Good morning." I greeted him, smiling. Sy was still fully dressed. "You slept in your jeans? That must have been uncomfortable." I smiled slyly and said, "you could have undressed, you know."

Sy chuckled and said, "I didn't for two reasons. One, I've slept in much more uncomfortable clothing and positions than I did last night. And two, I didn't think I could keep my dick away from you if I took my jeans off."

"I never said you had to." I pushed my hips against him. I could feel he was ready and kissed him. Sy kissed me softly and pulled away. He was obviously attracted to me, but his rejection was firm.

"Hold your horses, Darlin'." He said, his voice a little strained. "Let's save that for tomorrow night."

I pouted a bit but accepted it. Sy had been right about last night, after all. I probably would have resented it if he had fucked me just because I was upset.

What he did do last night was amazing. The way Sy touched me, it felt like he could read my mind. He gave me what I needed but did it his way. His natural dominance just made me weak, and now I knew he had the skills to back it up. His self-control was admirable. I don't think I'd ever been with a guy who made me orgasm and stopped without trying to get his own too. It just made me want to get him off even more. With some difficulty, I nuzzled my face into his chest, trying to be content with just breathing in his spicy scent.

I heard my phone vibrate, and Walk the Line by Johnny Cash started. I wanted to ignore my alarm and stay in Sy's arms.

"I had better..." I started, then I paused, remembering what Macca had done. I had messaged Macca almost immediately after leaving work and told him I quit. I was unemployed. "Fuck," I sighed and rolled over to get my phone.

I had 16 messages.

"You ok, Darlin'?" Sy asked.

I shrugged. With trepidation, I opened the messages. They were all from Macca. They started apologetically, then got more vicious until he was outright threatening me.

His last message was 30 minutes ago. It said simply, "I'm coming over, bitch." Fuck.

I jumped out of bed and threw Sy his shoes. "You have to go," I told him.

I pulled a robe on and went around the house, making sure Jen wasn't home. She wasn't, thank God. I didn't want her to have to deal with Macca too.

Sy came out with his shoes on. "What's going on, Vix?"

"I have to go to work," I lied, checking the back door was locked. I pulled the curtains closed.

"You quit." He said.

"I have to pick my stuff up."

"I'll come with you."

"No, it's ok. I..." I heard Macca's motorcycle. Shit. Sy looked out the window. "Don't! He will see you."

Sy looked at me like I was crazy, but he peeked carefully out. "Who's that?" He asked.

"Macca. My ex."

"What's going on, Vix?" I couldn't tell him. I looked down at my feet. Sy went on, "he looks crazier than a shit house rat. Cocaine?"

I nodded, "or meth or both."

"Fuck." Sy said. "He hit you?"

"No. But since we broke up, he's been weird and taking heaps of drugs. He's been escalating, threatening, and last night, he," I swallowed my mouth was dry.

"You don't have to tell me, Darlin'," Sy said. I didn't want to tell him. But he was stuck here now, and it was my fault.

Heavy knocking came from the other side of the door. "Open up Bitch. You can't leave like that. No fucking way. You hear me, you fucking slut?"

"He pushed me against a wall and tried to have sex with me. I only got away because I stuck my thumbs in his eyes," I explained quickly.

Sy smiled briefly at me, raising an eyebrow. "Nice job," he said quietly with a bit of admiration. He sniffed. "I'll take care of it." He took me into my bedroom. "Stay here."

"I'm not staying here," I whispered, but my voice was firm. "This isn't your problem."

"I ain't leavin' with you alone with some drugged up asshole who looks like he's in the middle of a psychotic break. Not happenin'." Sy stuck his bottom jaw out, giving him a grim look.

"He's not going to hurt me."

"Did he hurt you last night?" Sy asked rhetorically.

Macca was kicking at the door, his voice on the edge of screaming.

"He's friends with bikies," I told Sy in a last-ditch effort. "Stay here with me, we will be quiet, and he will go away. He could hurt you."

"Darlin', I've been up against bigger assholes than him. He ain't shit." I don't know why, but his words sent a thrill through me. I was still scared, though.

When I didn't protest immediately, Sy went to the front door and let him in. I peeked around my door frame.

"Howdy," Sy said, all friendly with a big smile on his face. He put his hand out for Macca to shake it. "You must be Macca. Vix's told me a lot about you. Come in." Macca looked stunned and took Sy's hand to shake it.

Quicker than lightning, Sy pulled Macca's hand, bringing him into the house. Then he twisted Macca's arm until Macca was forced to bend over or else his arm would break. I watched wide-eyed, and a little turned on while Sy searched him. Sy led him like that into the kitchen. I followed them, but Sy turned and said, "This is just between us boys. Why don't you run down to your work and get all your stuff while Mac and I have a chat."

His tone didn't leave much room for negotiation, but I still bristled at being told what to do in my own home.

"Victoria," Sy said with all the authority of his former rank. "That's an order. Go on, get."

I ran into my room and quickly pulled on pants and a t-shirt over the top of my PJs. "I'll be about an hour," I said to Sy.

"Fine," Sy said. Sy had Macca sitting in a chair in the middle of the lounge room. Sy leaned in the doorway, his back to me. Macca looked at me and opened his mouth. "Don't even think about talkin' to her." Sy briefly flicked his eyes at me, then back at Macca, "you need shoes, Victoria."

Fuck. I ran to my room and slipped some thongs on.

I headed for the door. "If you're going to be longer than an hour, call me," Sy said.

"Ok," I said and dropping my keys about five times on the way I got into my car. Shaking, I rang Pete.

"Hey Vix, how ya goin'? I can't talk. I'm at work."

"Macca came to the house this morning, and Sy was still there," I told Pete quickly.

"Shit."

"Yeah shit, Sy has Macca in a chair and says their gonna have a chat."

"Shit."

"You going to say anything except shit?"

"What are they doing now?"

"I'm not there. Sy said to go to the shop and pick my stuff up."

"Shit."

"Peter! Not helpful. Should I call the cops?"

"You just did."

"No, I mean triple zero."

"No, I'm on my way." Then Pete hung up.

I got to work and ignored everyone. I packed my stuff into a couple of boxes as quickly as possible and raced home.

There was a police car outside the house. Sy, Pete and a female officer were standing on the verandah. I left my stuff in the car and raced up to the house.

"Did you get your stuff?" Pete asked.

"Yeah, where's Mac?" I looked at Sy, "Are you ok?" Sy smiled and looked at me like I was crazy again. He was fine.

Pete spoke, "he's in the back of the car. We are arresting him for an attempted break and enter, possession of a prohibited substance and harassment."

"Vix, is it?" The female officer asked. I nodded, and she continued. "My name is Aylin. Can I talk to you?" I nodded, and she took me back into the house.

We went to the kitchen, and I asked automatically, "Do you want a coffee? Water? Anything?"

"No, Vix, just sit down a minute." I sat, and Aylin said, "Pete tells me that McMurray assaulted you last night."

"McMurray?"

"Macca," Aylin said with a brief smile that I supposed she thought was comforting. "Did you want to make a statement, and then we can add that to his charges?"

This was escalating much quicker than I thought. I thought I'd call Pete, and he would tell Macca to fuck off, and that would be it. I looked at Aylin. "Can I think about it?"

Aylin smiled again, "yeah, you can. Just be aware, the details will fade if you don't record them, so even if you aren't ready to make a statement yet, write down what happened and date it. That's evidence and can be used to help write your statement, ok?"

I nodded. How did we get here? This was just making it worse. There is no way I'm reporting what he did. It will only make him angrier.

"Alright," Aylin said, standing up. "I think Pete and I will head off now. It was really nice to meet you. Pete has told me a lot about you."

"You too," I said but didn't get up. I just stared at the table and drifted into my thoughts, running through scenarios until I was convinced that Macca was going to kidnap me and bring a whole club down to kick Sy's arse.

A cup of coffee was pushed into my field of vision, and I snapped out of my nightmares. I looked up, and Sy was sitting next to me with a coffee as well. "I made it with white with two. That ok?" I usually have one sugar, but I nodded anyway. I heard the snap of a lighter, and Sy lit a cigarette, inhaled deeply then passed it to me.

"Jen will shit if I smoke in the house," I tell Sy.

He shook his head, "I'm sure she will let it pass this one time."

"Sorry," I said. "I didn't know what else to do except call Pete."

"That's fine. I called Softy too. You must have reached him first."

My hands trembled as I lifted my cigarette to my mouth.

"Why do you call him Softy?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"It's what his platoon called him."

"I didn't know that," I said, interested now instead of just trying to change the subject. "Why, though, he's not big enough to be a teddy bear or anything."

"I assume it's because of his last name, Babcock, bad cock, soft, softy." Sy had a small grin on his face.

"Oh, that's hilarious," I laughed. "Did you have a nickname other than Sy?"

"Nah, I was an officer too long, just Cap or Sy. Maybe there was some behind my back, but I didn't know about it."

"Why did you retire?" I asked.

"I was on deployment a lot, and when I hit 20 years, I thought I'd retire and settle down. I didn't want to sit behind a desk all day. But then retirement was," he paused and took a deep breath. "It didn't suit me back home, so I decided to travel. See some parts of the world I ain't never seen but without the worry of being shot at." Sy took a long drink of his coffee. "This place seemed like a good idea, and Softy said I could stay with him, so I did."

"Did you have a girlfriend to go home to?" He looked away, and for the first time, he seemed unsure. "You don't have to answer."

"I had a wife." He said quietly. "She... we didn't get along so well after I was retired. That happens sometimes. The only thing keepin' you together is the excitement of seein' each other, and by the time things get real, you're back on deployment, and you can miss each other again."

"I'm sorry," I said.

"Yeah, well, at least we didn't have kids. I don't think I could have left if we did." He looked at me again and gave me his silly grin.

"Thank you," I said.

He didn't ask for what. He just took my hand and said, "you're welcome."


	8. Syverson

I stayed with Vix until Jess got home. Jess and Vix asked me to stay for dinner, but I'd been in the same clothes for 36 hours, and I wanted to shower and change.

Vix drove me home, she had a Mini Cooper, and I had to pull my head down to my shoulders to fit in it. Vix laughed, though, and it was good to see her smile.

I was worried for a while there that she would feel different about me after what went down with her ex. That seeing me be violent, even mildly like that, would scare her off. It didn't seem to. I couldn't have left her alone even if I wasn't interested in her. I can't stand bullies, and Macca surely was one. He was the kind of guy I'd seen on deployment sometimes, all bark and no bite. He was a pussy when I got him alone, shaking and not even trying to get away. I couldn't stand pussy's like him.

It had been hard not to beat the shit out of him when Vix had left. That he had touched her like that without her permission made me burn inside. It made me burn even more that once upon a time, she had let him touch her like that. That's when I knew I had to call Softy. I didn't know if I could keep my rage in check.

Vix seemed happy for me to stay with her all day. We watched some of her favourite movies. I enjoyed Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? was a bit weird for my taste, though. But I'd watch paint dry just to have her snuggled into me like she did.

Vix wasn't as flirty as she had been. She didn't try to get me to fuck her all day. We hadn't even kissed again. I would have thought she didn't want me anymore if it hadn't been for the way she laced her fingers through mine as we snuggled. She brought out a protective instinct in me so deep it was almost part of my wiring. Even crying the night before, she didn't appear as vulnerable as she seemed while she hugged me and held my hand.

It didn't mean she wasn't still as sexy as hell. She was just one of those girls who was sexy no matter what she did. After one of the movies finished, she had stretched her whole body out after standing. Her arms raised above her head, her shirt lifted and just seeing the way her waist curved to her hip was enough to give me a boner.

When I got out of Vix's car, I went around to her side and leaned in to kiss her. "You still ok to go out tomorrow night?"

"Of course," she smiled, the smile I've come to think of as her naughty girl smile.

I reached into the car and held the back of her neck, and kissed her like I had wanted to all day. I let my tongue search out her piercing and, not for the first time, wondered what it would feel like to have her tongue on my dick. I reached into her car and under her t-shirt. She hadn't put a bra on, and I touched her tits for the first time that day. I let my fingers tug just slightly on her piercing, and she moaned into my mouth.

I pulled away with a wink and said, "See you at seven tomorrow, Victoria." I went inside before she could say anything.

I had a shower and made sure it was ice cold. It wasn't enough to cool my blood entirely, but it helped.

I had to work out where the hell I would take a girl like Vix out on a date. I want to do something she will like but damn, that girl is into weird shit. I figured she wouldn't be impressed by just any dinner and a movie. I searched until I finally find something I think she will like. I definitely needed to buy a car for it.

When Softy came home, I asked him about Mac. "He's out already. We set up an AVO, so he has to stay away from Vix, but its all we can do. He will go to court in a few months, but he'll probably get away with it. For a guy like him, he's got pretty clean skin, so I doubt he will serve time."

I nodded. Then I asked, "how about you and Jess and that girl Aylin?" It was a stab in the dark, but I was pretty sure he had fucked her or was fucking her.

"You aren't going to say anything about it to Vix, are ya mate?" Softy looked ashamed. "It was one time nearly a year ago... Fuck, I don't need to explain myself to you."

"I ain't fixing' to tell Vix," I told Softy. "Just a few things make sense now, is all. Like why you seem to avoid spendin' time alone with Jess. I don't care what you do, just don't involve me in your shit like that."

Softy nodded. He was just lucky that Vix was wrapped up in what was happening, not to notice the vibes between those two. Anyone with half a brain could see Aylin was in love with Softy.

***************

I was slightly nervous, picking Vix up. I had that feeling in the guts you get when you're not sure if you want to shit or throw up. Not as bad as before a mission, but I still felt it. I rang the doorbell and waited, rocking on my heels like a 16-year-old. Fuck, this girl had me feeling more than I had anticipated.

Vix answered the door, and she took my breath away. She wore a white tight halter dress that went to just above her knee with red heels, skin coloured stockings and a red belt. She had her red hair in two rolls on the top of her head, and the rest fell down her back.

I whistled at Vix and motioned for her to turn around. "Very nice, Darlin'," I said to her. "You're cuter than a bug's ear."

"Why, thank you, sir. Ain't you sweet." Vix said, mimicking my accent.

I laughed and pointed to my cheek. "Give me some sugar, lil girl." She leaned and gave me a peck on the cheek. She smiled, then wiped my cheek with her thumb.

"Sorry, I got lipstick on you. I uh, I made you something." Vix seemed nervous. She pulled out from behind her back a framed picture. Inside was a drawing of a guy dressed in a 1950s greaser style.

"Wow, Vix," I said, "you're real good." I looked at the picture again. "Is this me?"

Vix's pretty cheeks went a little pink, and she said, "I drew this a few days ago. It's you, but a little different. Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks for looking out for me. You didn't have to."

I put my arms around her slim waist and kissed her. "Thank you, Darlin' you didn't have to do that." She was cute when she went shy. I imagine shy isn't a feeling Vix is familiar with.

"I wanted to." She said, and she put her arms around me too. "So, where are you taking me?"

"I thought we could go to the drive-in? How does that sound, Peaches?"

Vix's eyes lit up, "What are we seeing?"

"A double feature of Grease and Rocky Horror Picture Show."

"Sy!" Vix's face lit up. "That's perfect!"

I beamed at her, "well, shake a leg, and let's get."

The drive-in was done up in a retro 1950s style, and even the servers wore old-school uniforms. We had burgers and milkshakes before the movie.

Vix held my hand while we watched the movie. She seemed to know every line of Grease. A few times, I watched her as she appeared to mouth the words to every scene. I asked her how many times she had seen it. She laughed and said she had no idea, but she would watch it nearly every week when she was a kid. She told me she loved Sandy because she was Australian, but her favourite was Rizzo. I laughed and said, I could see that. She playfully smacked my hand.

During Rocky Horror I sat in the passenger seat, and Vix sat on my lap, her back leaning against the door and her legs across mine. She weighed next to nothing, but her weight was distracting. I leaned my head against her chest, and her nails scratched at my head, sending shivers down my spine.

I ran my hand up her thigh and could feel those thin silky stockings. As my hand went higher, I felt that suspenders held up her stockings. I lifted her tight dress up her thigh, and as it raised, I saw the white ribbon hiding the clasp. I followed it up and saw her pretty white belt and sheer underwear. They hid nothing, and I could see that little triangle of hair and her bare lips hiding her centre. Pulling her dress back down, I looked at Vix. She was watching me and almost wasn't breathing.

"Those are real pretty, Victoria. You wear that for me?"

Vix nodded. A small smile on her lips. "Surprise." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

I put my hand on the back of her neck and pulled her down to me. "I like this surprise."

I kissed her, and her lips were soft and open. Her legs opened too, and I couldn't stop myself. I moved my hand up the inside of her thigh until I reached her underwear. They were so thin I could feel how wet she was through the fabric. I found her clit and grazed my finger over it. Vix moaned.

I put my finger under her chin and guided her face towards the movie screen. "Watch the movie Victoria," I said and started to pull her panties to the side.

"Sy!" She looked back at me. Her cheeks flushed with desire.

I gently took her throat in my hand and said, "if you're a good girl, I'll make you cum again. Watch the movie Victoria."

Vix bit her lip and watched the movie. I slid her panties aside and ran my finger along her slit. This time I didn't stop myself. I put my finger in my mouth and tasted her. Her sweet taste rocked me to my sex. I heard myself groan, and Vix squirmed on my lap.

"You taste like cherries, lil kitten."

"Do you like cherries?" Vix asked. Her voice was ragged, but her eyes stayed on the movie.

"I could eat cherries all day," I replied with a grin. Vix's eyes closed for a moment. I could see her breathing getting quicker. I pressed the button to make my seat go back as far as it could go. The footwell was big but probably not big enough for me. Fuck. I wanted to put my face between her legs. Fucking drive-ins. I shouldn't have looked up her dress. "God damn it."

Vix watched the movie, but she had a massive smile on her face. She said teasingly, "what's wrong, Sy?" She wriggled on my lap. My dick throbbed in my pants, no way she couldn't feel it.

I lifted her, sat her on the centre consul, and pushed her legs apart. In one of the most challenging manoeuvres of my life, I twisted my body into the too-small footwell and leaned against the seat until I could get my face to where it needed to be.

Vix's panties were still pushed to the side, and I opened her legs wider, and my lips grazed her centre. She felt so soft and smooth. My tongue came out to find her core, wanting to be inside her. I found it and forced my tongue in tasting her sweetness.

I licked my tongue up higher, finding her clit, and I lapped at it like a dog. I sucked on her letting my tongue lick at her while I did. Vix held my head to her as I licked, her nails digging into my scalp. I felt her getting wetter, she was soaking my beard, and I wanted more. I pushed her dress up high over her ass. I looked up at her. Her face was turned to the movie, but her eyes were closed. I wrapped my arms around her thighs and pulled her closer, and growled. Vix had me so turned on that I didn't care if I sounded like an animal.

"Sy," She cried, her hands left my head, and she braced herself against the roof, her body trembling. She still didn't look at me. "Fuck, Sy. Please don't stop. Please." She pleaded with me, and I kept going, hungry for her to cum. She didn't move for a moment and tensed before she cried out, and she went over the edge. She bit her hand to try to muffle her shout, and I didn't let go of her clit until she let go of her hand.

Vix looked at me, her eyes desperate still. She tried to pull me up by my shirt, and I chuckled at her and let myself be lead up to her mouth. Her greedy mouth sucked herself off my lips and my beard. I couldn't wait anymore. My hands went to my jeans, and I opened them, pulling my cock out. I sat on the passenger seat and put her on the floor in front of me. Her eyes went wide when she saw my dick in my hand, and I moved my hand up the shaft over the head and back. She licked her lips. "Do you want this, Victoria?" I asked.

She nodded and opened her mouth, and took me in all the way to the base. Her pretty red lips were stretched wide around me, and the visual alone made my balls rise in my sack. Her eyes twinkled as she moves her mouth, and I felt her tongue and that little metal ball slide over the head of my cock.

I couldn't take my eyes off her as she moved back down my shaft and repeated the movements.

Vix's phone rang. We both ignored it. I was so close. It rang again, and I was distracted, and I tried to block it out. The third time it rang, the moment was over. "Fuck!" I said, frustrated as hell.

"Sorry, it's Jess. I have to take it." She answered the phone, and the way her face fell told me our date was over. "Hey, Jess, Jess, what's wrong? Pete? What? Fucking Prick! I'll be there in 20."

When she hung up, she said, "sorry, Sy, I've got to go home."


	9. Victoria

"I'm so sorry, Sy," I said to him as we left. "I've had such a great time." I looked at his pants and felt terrible. "I'm sorry about the blue balls too."

He winked at me. "I can take care of that. Don't you worry about it."

I nodded and half-smiled. Usually, the thought of a guy jerking off made me hot, but I couldn't think about anything but Jess.

Even though I knew shit was coming to a head with Jess and Pete, it still felt like it came out of nowhere. Since Christmas, tonight was the first night that they would have spent entirely alone together. It was probably the first time they couldn't avoid talking about whatever was going wrong between them in months.

Sy was sweet about it. He didn't complain when I said we had to go. I mean, he groaned, but he didn't give me shit or convince me that five more minutes wasn't going to hurt. He just reluctantly put his dick away and got in the driver seat, and we left. I was grateful for that.

When we pulled up outside my house, I gave Sy a quick kiss. "I'll call you, ok?" I said as I was about to jump out of the car.

I realised it sounded like a brush off as soon as I said it. Sy had put effort into tonight, and I felt awful running out on him. I mean, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. After all, Jess's eight-year relationship had just ended. I still felt terrible. It wasn't just tonight that he'd been there for me.

I turned back to him and took his face in my hands. My fingers slid into his beard, and his coarse hair felt soft against my skin. "I mean it, Noah. I really like you and had a great time. I want to see you again soon." I kissed him goodnight and jumped out of the car, and ran to the door.

Jess was in bed, still dressed. Her face was so red and tear-stained I was surprised she wasn't still crying. Maybe it was shock. I went and sat on her bed. I held her hand and waited for her to be ready to talk.

"He cheated on me," Jess said finally.

I hissed. "That fucking cunt."

"Yup, that about sums it up," Jess said. Her voice was emotionless, like she had cried so much that she had nothing left.

"Do you know who with?" I asked. Jess shook her head. "Do you know when?"

"He didn't say when, but I know when." Jess sat up. "About a year ago, he changed. He started getting cold and distant and started to shy away when I touched him. He stopped talking about getting married. He was different." She shrugged.

"Jess, honey, I'm sorry." I hugged her, and she started crying again. I rubbed her back and said all the meaningless, "it'll be all right's" and "you'll be ok's". I felt useless, but Jess had done it for me for much shorter and stupider breakups than what she was going through now.

Eventually, Jess stopped crying. "I'm sorry," Jess said.

"What on earth would you have to be sorry for?"

"I ruined your date with Sy."

"Eh, Sy's come and go. You're the real love of my life." I winked at her.

"If only either of us liked girls, then we'd never have to deal with arsehole men again."

"True, but we can be arseholes too. Just not in this case. This is all the arsehole man's fault."

"Maybe it wasn't. Maybe, I don't know. I put too much pressure on him to commit." Jess started wringing her hands. I put my hand on hers.

"Honey, no. You waited for his stupid arse for five years while he was in the army, then another six months when he did police training in the academy. No, absolutely not. If he isn't prepared to commit after what you've done for him, he can fuck off."

"Thanks, Vix."

"Anytime." I hugged her again. "Want some tea?"

"I think I'll just go to bed."

"Want me to sleepover?" Jess nodded.

She cried off and on all night. I cried too. I grieved with her quietly so she wouldn't know. I cried for what Pete had done to Jess. I cried for what Macca had done to me. I cried for what I had done to Rob. Maybe it was just because I was already crying, or maybe it wasn't, but I cried because I wished Sy was here with me.

****************

Saturday was write off. I did nothing except try and keep Jess going. I called in sick for her at work, and we spent the day cleaning. Jess is one of those people who cleans all the time. When she's happy, she cleans. Anxious, she cleans. Sad, she cleans.

I snuck out in the arvo to get smokes and called Pete. He didn't answer the first time. I tried again ten minutes later, and he answered. He sounded drunk, and the background noise sounded like he was at the pub.

"What the fuck, Pete? You cheated on her?"

"Give it a rest Vix," Pete slurred. "I was faithful for seven fucking years, ok? I fucked up once. But you wouldn't know what that's like, wouldja Vixen," He said my name in a way I'd never heard before. He emphasised the x, and his tone was full of malice and loathing. "You've had more fucking dick than I've had hot dinners." I was horrified. He had never spoken to me like that before, ever. "Do you know how many girls I've fucked, Vix? Four, that's it. And I'm supposed to be happy with that forever?"

I was speechless. I had never heard him like that before. "Peter... what the..."

"Hey, someone wants to talk to you."

Please don't be Sy, please don't be Sy.

"Hey, Vix." It was Rob. I didn't say anything. I couldn't. It was like clown world. Pete had always been sweet, and now he's pretty much calling me a slut, and he's making me talk to Rob. Rob continues to speak, and he's as drunk as Pete. "Vix, Vix, Vix, don't be mad at Pete. He's just jealous, but it's ok. You could fuck both of us, and it'll all be fine."

I hung up in disgust. Who the fuck were these guys? What the fuck has happened to Pete. Four days ago, he was nice as pie, and now he's a fucking arsehole.

I wanted to call Sy to see if he was with them, but I couldn't. I don't think I could take it if every guy I knew suddenly became a dick.

I went back to Jess and cleaned until it was time for bed. I didn't tell Jess about the phone call.

Sunday both easier on Jess. She seemed to have accepted what Pete did, but it was still pretty raw. She just seemed more upset the relationship was over than that he had cheated on her. By Sunday night, Jess was even talking about how one time wasn't that bad. She was missing him now, and I understood that. But surely she wasn't thinking about taking him back?

My opinion of him had changed. I would never feel comfortable with him again. Pete and I hung out a lot, often staying up late together drinking after Jess had gone to bed. I had gone with him and his army mates to strip clubs when they had come back from overseas, and it had been fun. It had never been weird between us. He had never tried to touch me or say stupid shit to me, even back in high school. I had thought I was as close to him as I was to Jess.

He knew how I felt about Rob, and he allowed him to talk to me like that. Not to mention, he was going to tear our whole group apart and didn't seem to give a shit. He had introduced Sy to me, who was supposed to be a mate of his, then he goes and does that with Rob.

I hadn't spoken to Sy other than a text on Saturday morning telling him Jess was in a bad way and I'd talk to him soon. He had just written back, "OK." Then nothing. For all I knew, he had been there with Rob and Pete and had laughed about what they had said to me and bragged to them about what we had done together.

I couldn't believe how quickly shit seemed to fall apart around me. This was some Married at First Sight level of drama.

Sometime in the early hours of Monday morning, there was a banging at the door. Fuck. If that was Macca, we were in trouble. I couldn't call Pete now. I'd have to call the actual police. I went to the door and looked through the peephole. It was Peter.

"Go away, Pete, its two-thirty in the morning."

"Come on, Vix, don't be like that. I wanna talk, Jess."

"Jess doesn't want to talk to you."

"I'm sorry, Vix. I didn't mean what I said to you. I was drunk." Then he yelled, "Jess! Jessica!"

"Shut up, Pete. God, let her sleep."

"I'll let myself in if you don't open."

"Vix," it was Jess. "Let him in."

My jaw dropped. "Jess, you don't mean that."

"Yeah, I do." She sighed, "am I really going to throw away everything because he cheated once."

"Uh, yeah," I said. Did Jess have a hole in her head?

"I've got to give him a chance."

"I don't believe this shit."

Jess walked past me and opened the door. Pete starts fucking blubbering when he sees her, and she hugged him. Hugged him. As if he was the one who needed comforting.

My blood boiled. "Fuck this. I'm out," I said and went to my room. I got dressed and got in my car, and drove.

I drove around in the dark for a while. I had nowhere to go. I thought about going to Vanessa's or Yobbo's house, but it was either far too late or far too early to show up at their door. I thought about drove to my Mum's house but almost immediately dismissed that idea. She lived over two hours away, and I had a job interview after lunch. Fuck, that meant I'd have to go back to the house and change in a few hours.

I went to the beach, got a towel out of my boot and sat in the sand. I tried to read a book on my phone, but I couldn't concentrate. I put my feet in the still-warm sand, laid on my towel and listened to the waves crash on the beach.

The sun started to peek over the horizon. It was breathtaking. I went back to my car and got out my drawing pad and sharpies. I hadn't bothered unpacking the boxes because I'd need them when I found a new job. Sharpies weren't ideal for the picture, but in any case, the drawing made me forget everything that was going on for a while.

By the time I had finished, the first morning surfers were finished and going home. I packed my stuff up and walked to the shoreline, letting my feet get wet in the warm summer water. My feet sink into the sand as wave after wave buried them until I was ankle-deep. I don't know why but all I wanted right now was Sy. When his arms, as strong as chains, wrapped around my waist and his beard tickled my neck, I felt safe. He made me feel like everything would be ok.

I called Sy. My heart was pounding in my chest. I was so scared he would speak to me like Pete and Rob did or treated me like Macca had done. I didn't know what I'd do if he did.

The phone rang and rang, and I nearly hung up. He wasn't picking up. Tears pooled in my eyes. Please no, not him too.

Then I heard his voice. He sounded like he had just woken up, and his voice was deep and gravelly. His drawl was strong, "Mornin' Darlin'."

"Hi, Noah." My voice cracked a bit, and I cried. Fuck, this had been an emotional week.

"You ok, lil' kitten?"

I shook my head, then felt silly. I said, "no, things have been rough. I think Jess is going to take Pete back. I don't know." I went quiet. Sy didn't say anything either. "I miss you."

I heard Sy exhale into the phone. "Me too, Darlin'."

"Can I see you tonight?"

"Yeah. Do you want to come to my room?"

"No, uh," I didn't want to be at Pete's place, and I didn't want to be at home. "I don't want to be around Pete."

"I'm not there." That surprised me. "I went to a hotel. I'm signin' a rental agreement later this week on an apartment."

"What brought that on?"

"Softy and I had a disagreement."

"About what?"

"Guy stuff. Don't worry about it, Sweet Pea. I would have gotten my own place in a week or two anyway."

"Right."

"So, come to my room? It ain't much. We could go down the street and have dinner. You could spend the night. I'd like it if you did." His tone wasn't flirty like you'd expect from his words. Just honesty, no games. I needed that so much.

"Ok." I needed his quiet confidence now. I needed to be around someone who was sure of himself, made thoughtful decisions, didn't overreact. I needed a man now. God, I hoped Sy was that.

He said he would text me the address and said goodbye.


	10. Syverson

Vix arrived at my hotel in the late afternoon. I could see she'd had a rough few days. Her eyes had lost their usual spark. She had no makeup on, not even her regular eyeliner and her hair was up in a ponytail. God damn, she still took my breath away.

"Hey, pretty lady." I held the door open for Vix with my arm. She smiled at me, but the smile barely touched her eyes. She went under my arm, but instead of going into the room, she put her arms around my waist and hugged me, burying her face into my chest. Damn, it felt nice to have her hold me like that.

I walked her out of the doorway and closed the door with my foot. I hugged her back, giving her a little squeeze.

"Jeez, Sy, I can't breathe," Vix said into my chest. Her voice sounded like she was smiling.

I gave her a big squeeze and lifted her before putting her down again. Vix yelped, and I let her go. She was smiling, and I could see it in her eyes this time. My smile got bigger, and so did something else. I put my hand to her cheek and rubbed the soft skin over her cheekbone. "God damn, you're beautiful when you smile."

Vix's cheeks grew pink, but she looked me in the eyes and said, "Thank-you, Sy."

I sat down on the too-small couch in the too-small room and brought Vix down to my lap, her legs across mine. "So, you hungry?" She nodded. "Me too. Want to eat here or go out." Vix looked around the room. "I know it ain't much to look at, but I gotta wait a few more days before I get the keys to my apartment."

Vix smiled, "do you even have furniture for your new place?"

"I got one of those furnished apartments," I replied.

"How long's your lease?"

"Three months," I said. Vix nodded and looked away.

I knew the unspoken question that was there. I wasn't sure of the answer myself. I'd just thought Vix would be a girl I'd fuck and move on from. But, I hadn't been able to get her out of my mind. Maybe its because I hadn't fucked her yet though I didn't think it was that. Most of the time, I thought about her, I saw her with her head on my chest and her big hazel eyes staring up at me through her bangs. It's dangerous when you think of a girl, and it's not her tits or ass you think of first.

I missed her when she wasn't around. I missed her flirting, her eagerness. I missed her smile. I worried about her too. I wasn't used to that. I hadn't even worried about my wife when I was on deployment. Vix brought out a deep desire to protect her and take care of her. So many times, the past few days, I had wanted to call her. But I knew she would be busy with Jess and didn't want to intrude.

I had been surprised when Softy told me he confessed to Jess. I had even gone to the pub with him because I had felt a little bad for him. He clearly loved Jess, but he had fucked up and had to lay in the bed he had made. But then Robbo had shown up and started running his mouth about women and Vix, and I had to leave, or I would have beat him to a pulp. Softy had gotten pissed off and tried to get me to go back, but I was over their bullshit. I packed my stuff that day.

I put my hand under Vix's chin and brought her face back to mine. "Look, Vix, I ain't gonna lie to you. I don't know how long I'm stayin'. But I ain't going anywhere for a while, and I want to spend as much of that time with you as I can. You ok with that?"

She shrugged. "Yeah, there are no guarantees in relationships anyway. Whether you're here for three months or three decades, who knows what will happen." Vix's answer surprised me until I remembered that she had just witnessed the breakdown of a relationship she probably thought would last forever. "I just want you to promise one thing."

"And what's that, Sugar?"

"That you will say goodbye to me before you leave."

I smiled and pushed her bangs off her forehead and kissed her there before smoothing them down again. "Scouts honour," I promised.

Vix kissed me then, her plump lips open, sucking my bottom lip into her mouth. I stood her up and then brought her down on my lap again, and her legs straddled mine. I kissed her back, and she sucked my tongue. I half groaned, and half chuckled at her eagerness. I heard her do the same, and my body reacted.

Roughly I put my hand on her throat and tilted her neck, and buried my face into her. I had the urge to do something I hadn't done in years. I sucked hard on her neck. I wanted to mark her pretty skin, so everyone knew she was mine. I wanted to claim her, own her, protect her. I lifted my hips up into her as I did, wanting to feel the warmth of her sex. I wanted to be in her so badly. My teeth sunk into her neck. Vix cried out, and the noise made me stop.

What the fuck? I looked at her neck, and a huge red welt had already appeared surrounded by teeth marks. It was definitely going to bruise. It made my dick harder than steel looking at it. What in Hades was wrong with me?

"Did I hurt you?" I asked, gingerly touching her neck.

"No," Vix said. "It felt good."

Fuck. If she had said it hurt, I wouldn't do it again. I clenched my jaw and breathed deeply through my nose. Slowly I took control back, letting myself calm again.

"What's wrong?" Vix asked.

"Nothin' Sweet Pea." I gave her ass a little tap. I shook my head. I probably shouldn't have done that if I was trying to calm down. I sighed. "C'mon, let's get you fed."

We ate dinner at the pub a few blocks away. The food was good, and the beer was cold. We stayed for another drink after dinner, but as Vix's hickey started to show itself, I had only one thing on my mind.

I had to think about something else. "Are you fixin' to get a new job, or will you take a break for a while?" I asked.

"Both. I got a new job today. I'm only going to work Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Just for a while, until this shit calms down."

"Has the pussy contacted you?" I wasn't going to say his name, the piece of shit.

"No, he hasn't." There was more there. She wasn't telling me everything. I debated if I should ask her. I suppose she had a right to tell me in her own time.

"There's something you're not telling me," I said. "You don't need to tell me, but no one hurt you, did they?"

Vix shook her head. Then she smiled at me and changed the subject. "Tell me about your home, Sy."

"Ain't much to tell, Vix." I sat up in my chair. I never talked much about home. The word home didn't mean much to me. I don't think I'd ever stayed in one place for longer than 18 months in my life. Home sounded like a made-up thing I only read about in stories.

"You could tell me anything." Vix persisted. She put her hand on my knee. "Tell me something about you. I know nearly nothing."

"I moved around a lot as a kid. I was an army brat."

Her hand moved up my thigh. "Tell me more." Her eyes burned into mine. She was playing her games again. I suppressed a smile.

"My parents separated when I was in junior high, and I stayed with my Momma and sisters."

Her hand moved to the inside of my thigh, stopping shy of my balls. I opened my legs wider. "Victoria, you're playing a dangerous game."

She leaned in close to my ear, her lips caressing me as she said, "you make me so hot when you call me Victoria." She put my earlobe in her mouth, licked it and let it go. "Tell me more, Noah."

My hands balled into fists, and my balls tingled. Sweet Lord, I wanted her to touch me. When she got all flirty and aggressive like this, it made me want to dominate her even more. I wanted so badly to take her, praise her and punish her for getting me worked up in public. My thoughts ran away from me. I wanted to bend her over the table and not care who saw me fuck her. I wanted to take her to the bathroom, force her on her knees and fuck her mouth. She was such a little brat. She did it on purpose, trying to force me to take control of her. God damn, it made me so fucking horny.

"We still moved a lot, but at least it was in the same state." Vix moved her hand between my legs, cupping me, and could feel her nails through my pants. I took a deep breath and looked at Vix. She had that sly smile that made my dick twitch.

"You're in so much trouble, lil Kitten." Vix yelped as I stood up and grabbed her hand, and marched her out of the pub. I didn't stop until we made it to my room.

I opened the door, pulled her inside and kicked the door closed. I put my head on the door, and I took a breath. I needed to try and calm down, or this would be over too quickly.

Vix didn't care though, I felt her tits press into my back, and her arms came around me. Her hands were on my belt, and I watched as she undid my pants, and they fell to the floor. Her hands went under my shirt and slid over my stomach and down the top of my briefs. She slid those down too, and my dick sprang loose.

I grabbed her arm and brought her around in front of me, her eyes were wide, and her cheeks were flushed. "I can't wait anymore, Noah," she said. She lifted her skirt, dropped her panties to the floor and stepped out of them.

"Fuck." I lifted her, and she wrapped her arms legs around me. I could feel her wet sex against my stomach. I fumbled around behind her, desperate now. Every urge I had held in check was now let loose. I grabbed my dick and slid myself deep into her. She felt like a dream, like everything I had ever wished for. I needed her to be mine.

I used my body to push her back against the door. I hooked my arms under her knees and spread her wide and leaned my hands against the door. She kissed me, her mouth not letting mine go as I drove into her kissing her back.

"Fuck, Sy." She leaned her head back into the door, and her nails dug deep into my shoulders through my shirt. I felt her legs tremble as they had before. I didn't have long, but I had to hang on and make her cum first. I had to know what that felt like on my dick. I gritted my teeth and ordered myself not to cum until she has.

"Does this feel good, Victoria?" I asked. Her head snapped forward, and her eyes focused on mine. She was biting her lip, trying to muffle her noise. Vix nodded. "Then I want to hear it, lil kitten."

Vix let her lip go, and a small cry escaped her throat with each thrust. I leaned my head against hers, our noses touching, our eyes boring into each other. Vix is still for a moment, and I feel her walls clench around me, almost pushing me out. She cried out one last time. I kissed her and touched her tongue with mine. I growled into her mouth as my orgasm hit, and I released into her, filling her, claiming her for my own.

I dropped my head into her neck, nuzzling into her, giving myself a minute to catch my breath. I kissed her neck. Impossible as it seemed to me, I was not sated. I needed her again. If anything, it increased my desire for her. I had to have her every way I could think of.

Vix held me to her, scratching at my head until I let her on her feet. I don't let her go.

"You were right, Vix," I said to her when I could finally speak. She looked at me, confused. "I'll remember that for the rest of my fucking life."


	11. Victoria

I stayed with Sy until Wednesday night. I only left because I had to go to work on Thursday and run out of clean clothes. Not that I was dressed much in the past two days. I would put on clothes to go outside for a smoke, and as soon as I would come back in, Sy would strip me down to my underwear if he didn't strip me completely.

Sy couldn't keep his hands off me. It would have been flattering except that I couldn't keep my hands off him either. He was a different lover to the guys I had been with in the past. He was so generous, always watching me, trying to find out what I liked, asking me what I wanted and letting me take what I wanted.

At the same time, he was so dominant too. Even when I was on top or controlling the situation, it was because he allowed it. When I teased him too much or pushed him too far, he would take control, and I'd have no choice. I didn't want a choice if I'm honest with myself. I teased him deliberately, wanting him to take control. I wanted to see how far he would let me go before he snapped and grabbed me. The power play between us was intoxicating.

Even when he took control, he didn't want to really hurt me. One time he had put his knee on my thigh by accident, and I had yelled in pain, and he seemed to know the difference instantly and stopped. He had felt so bad he hadn't wanted to continue. I had to convince him to continue.

"Come and have a shower with me then, Noah." I pulled his arm, trying to get him off the bed.

He grunted at me and eventually got up. The shower was small, like everything else in the hotel. Sy took one look at it and shook his head, "Vix, I can't hardly fit in there by myself. Why don't you go first, then I'll jump in?"

I pouted, then sighed. "Wait, here with me?"

Sy's mouth curved up into a smile. "Alright."

I got into the shower and gave myself a quick wash. Sy leaned against the sink and was watching me as I did. I saw he had started to get hard again. I took the handheld showerhead and rinsed off the soap. I played with the settings on the shower head while I did. I looked into Sy's eyes and bit my lip. I leaned my back against the cold tiles and stood with my legs apart. I put my hand between my legs, parting my slit and moved the showerhead between my legs. I gasped as the water hit me, and Sy's jaw hit the floor.

I watched Sy's breathing increased, his broad hairy chest expanding rapidly. His erection grew, firm and thick. I unashamedly licked my lips and moaned. I wanted to feel his hard velvety sex in my mouth.

"What are you doing, Victoria?" Sy's voice was stern, and his eyes roamed my body.

"Finishing what you started," I said between breaths. I was getting close already.

"Fuck," Sy stood up and tried to open the glass door. It opened into the shower, so I lifted my foot to the glass and stopped him. His face was set, and he ground his teeth. He was going to take me. I smiled in victory. "Let me in, lil Kitten."

I shook my head at Sy. "I'm almost done."

Sy looked at the glass door. He looked like he wanted to break the door down. "Victoria, open the door."

"Why?" I moaned.

Sy leaned his head against the door, and his breath fogged up the glass. "Because I want to taste you," he said. 

I moved my foot away, and he opened the door. Taking the showerhead out of my hand, he put it in its cradle and got on his knees, his body half in and half out of the shower. Sy put his hands on my arse and pulled me to his face. He lifted one of my legs over his shoulder, opening me wider. 

"Oh fuck, Noah," I cried when I felt his tongue flatten against me. He pushed his face into me, and his beard tickled my thighs. I felt the pressure building in my gut, and my body tensed, searching for release. Sy hummed against me, and I shattered.

Sy gave me no time to recover. He lifted me out of the shower and bent me over the sink, lifting one of my legs onto the bench. He entered me, his thick cock stretching me. His hand went to my throat while the other held my leg in place.

"Watch yourself, Victoria," Sy growled in my ear, his teeth nipping at my neck. "Watch me fuck you. Look at what you do to me when you fucking tease me like that."

He pounded into me, his cock unrelenting. His eyes made contact with mine in the mirror while he snarled into my ear. "That's it Victoria, do you like me like this?" When he talked like that, his accent got stronger, and his voice deepened. "Look at yourself, Victoria, you love this, don't you? You love it when I own your pussy. Tell me, is it mine?"

"Yes." I cry. I can hardly breathe, let alone reply. And we are soon both on the edge, and as he watched me come undone, he followed swiftly behind.

*****************

It had felt like a holiday being with Sy, but the outside world crept in a few times. Jess kept messaging me, asking where I was. I didn't want to reply. If she wanted to go back to Pete, that was her choice, but I didn't want anything to do with him anymore. When her messages started to seem worried, I couldn't let her fret about me. She had been through enough. I messaged her back to tell her I was okay and with Sy.

Pete had also messaged, but I didn't care about him. I got calls from blocked numbers a couple of times, but I ignored those too.

When I got home, I prayed no one was there, but I saw Jess's car parked outside. I tried to sneak in, but it was impossible the way the house arranged.

Jess was on the lounge watching tv and drinking a cup of tea. She got up as soon as I walked in the door. "Vix, hi," Jess said. She sounded scared of my reaction, and my heart melted. She had been through enough, and I wasn't going to stay mad at her.

"Hey Jess, how ya going?" I dropped my overnight bag on the floor in front of the door and went to sit with Jess. She furrows her eyebrows, looking at my bag on the floor. "I won't leave it there," I sighed. She sat down.

"I'm better, I think."

"Yeah? Are you taking Pete back?"

Jess nods. "He's agreed to go to counselling and says he wants to get married." Jess looks at me, sheepishly. She knows I'm not going to be impressed.

"Look, Jess, if it's going to make you happy then I'm 100% behind you." I shook my head. "I just don't want to see you get hurt."

"I know. I love you for that. I can't just drop him because he fucked up once. I love him too much."

I moved over and put my arm around Jess. "I know, Jess."

"I have to tell you something else, Vix." Jess was wringing her hands. This was not going to be good.

"Yeah?" I said.

"Well, I thought about what part I played in what happened with Pete..."

"Jess," I interrupted. "It's not your fault..."

"Not all of it," Jess interrupted me back. "He chose to cheat, yes, but I wasn't there for him when he needed me." I rolled my eyes. "Don't be like that, Vix. Look, I asked Pete to move in with me."

I withdrew my arm from around Jess's shoulders. "For fucks sake, Jess. All you ever wanted was to get married and wanted to wait until marriage to live with a guy. And he fucks up, and you give him what he wants."

"Vix," Jess tried to calm me down. "It's not like that. We are going to get married next year."

"Oh yeah?" I crossed my arms. "Wheres the ring?"

"We picked it yesterday, and it's getting made."

I was stunned into silence. I couldn't work out how I felt. Part of me wanted to be happy for her, but I had such a bad feeling about the whole thing. "Jess," I started and didn't know what to say. I breathed in and tried again. "If this is what you want, ok."

"Really?" Jess asked.

"Really, Jess." I hugged her, squeezing her tight. "I'll move out as soon as I find a place, ok?"

"Vix, you don't have to go."

"Yes, I do. I'm not going to live with you and Pete. I'm not going to be the third wheel here."

"I don't want you to go."

"Jess, I can't live with you forever." I smiled at her, "it was bad enough having to hear you two have sex when you're dating. But listening to married sex... ew. It'd be like hearing my parents go at it." 

Jess chuckled and blushed. "Yeah, ok. It's just that everything is moving so quickly. Things are changing so fast."

I nodded in agreement. It was scary how fast things were changing. But it was probably time for it. We were growing up and growing out of that young adult phase and into full adult mode. I had been fighting it for a long time. I was trying to hold onto this time of my life. I knew we all had to grow up soon. Stop the continuous partying, start to really make something of ourselves, find partners, have babies. But it terrified me.

I don't know why I was so scared. In so many parts of my life, I was independent. I'd lived either by myself or with Jess for nine years now. I got a tattoo apprenticeship, worked all day in the shop, then in a cafe at night for two years until I was able to call myself an artist. I did that alone. I bought my own car, had savings. I had supported Jess when she needed me. I had done the responsible things.

The only part of my life that was a constant failure was my love life. I think I had dated every kind of dickhead there was, from full-on controlling assholes to complete babies that couldn't make a decent decision about what to have for breakfast.

Maybe that's what it was. Perhaps I wasn't scared of growing up. It was that I had had too many responsibilities on my own, and I wanted someone to help me. Someone to take some of that burden off me but not completely control my life. Someone to support me, to reassure me I was doing a good job. Someone who wanted the best for me. A partner, not just a boyfriend.

I thought about Jess and Pete. About how she loved him so much she could forgive his cheating. He wasn't a serial cheater. He had fucked up once. He had felt guilty, and though he hadn't confessed straight away, he did tell her. Who knows what was going on in his head when he did that. I shouldn't judge. But Jess was so committed to him that she could forgive that. I don't think I had ever loved anyone enough that I'd forgive such a betrayal.

It had hurt when I found out Macca cheated, but it hurt my ego more than my heart, if I'm honest with myself. I hoped for Jess's sake that Pete was honest with her, that this was just a bump in the road that would make their relationship ultimately stronger.


	12. Syverson

When Vix left, I slept like a log. That God damn girl was insatiable. I needed to start working out more regularly if I was going to keep up with her fine ass. I don't think I had ever had so much sex in so short a time in my life. Even my honeymoon wasn't a fuck fest like that had been. By the time she left, I was beyond spent and to be honest, my dick was sore.

I wasn't complaining. It was amazing. Vix was amazing. She challenged me in a way no woman had before. She made me want to get down on my knees and worship the ground she walked on. But she also made my most basic instincts come out, and I wanted to own her, claim every part of her body and never let her go. I wanted to take care of her, and I wanted to be the one she came to when she had problems. I wanted to make her moan and say my name over and over. When I was with her, I had never felt so weak yet so powerful in my life.

I hadn't seen Vix in three days, and I was getting antsy. She was coming over later that evening, and the closer it got to her coming over, the worse I got. God damn, it was as bad as waiting for dusk before a mission. At least then, I wasn't alone. Now it's just me and my dick, and my dick was winning. I needed to get my mind off her for a while.

I finally decided to ring Softy. He apologised for being a dick. I said alright, but warned him I didn't think I could be around Rob again. Softy agreed and said he'd catch up with me soon.

"Maybe the four of us could get together soon. If Vix is ok with it." Softy said.

"Why wouldn't she be?" I asked.

"I said some pretty shitty things to her. You know after you left." Softy sighed. I saw red. "Then I put Rob on the phone, and he..."

"You fucking did what?" I was ropable. I felt my stomach twist.

"Look, I fucked up bad, ok. I'll talk to Vix and sort it out."

"Listen to me, Softy. You want some free advice? Don't you ever let that piece of shit near Vix again? I swear to you I'll fuck your shit up faster than a cheap dress comes off on prom night." Images of my fist hitting Rob's nose filled my mind. I wanted to feel the crunch as his nose shattered. Fuck that would feel good.

"Jesus Christ, Syverson," Softy said. "Take a fucking chill pill. I left Rob not long after the phone call. Listening to him spew his garbage to Vix, I... fuck man, I don't know. It made me realise I didn't want to be like him. I want to be with Jess and only Jess. Fuck bro, I can't explain it."

"Alright, Softy, alright." I had calmed a bit with his explanation. But my reaction even scared me. That fucking piece of shit. I had to do something instead of letting this shit stew in my mind.

I was getting so restless. I went to the beach. I still fucking hated sand, but I had to find something to keep me occupied. I wasn't used to having so much time on my hands. Yeah, there was a lot of downtime on deployment, but I always had paperwork and planning and dealing with personnel keep me busy. I probably would have moved on, got that camper and been halfway to Alice Springs if I hadn't met Vix.

I went back to my apartment and decided to go down to the parking lot and clean my truck while I waited for Vix. It didn't matter how hard I had tried to wash the sand off. It was still there, and the thought of it in the carpet pissed me off.

I felt eyes on me while I was hunched over, trying to get under the pedals to get all the sand. I turned the vacuum off, and there was Vix, leaning back on her car, her hands behind her, resting on the hood. I felt my shoulders relax, and the tension I had felt all day was gone. My Kitten was back.

She was all made up again, and her eyes had gotten their spark back. She was wearing black high waisted shorts, a white shirt and red heels. The way she leaned against the car pushed her tits out against her shirt, the buttons threatening to pop. I added it to the images of her that I will never get out of my mind.

"Oh, don't stop," said Vix with her naughty smile. "I love a guy who knows his way around a vacuum cleaner."

I grinned, not even attempting to hide my desires. "Come here, lil lady," I said to her.

Vix ran to me, and I opened my arms to catch her. She jumped into my arms, wrapping her legs and arms around me, kissing me straight away. I kissed her back, my tongue demanding entry to her mouth. My hands held her ass, squeezing her cheeks, feeling how soft and firm her flesh was. I felt her thighs tighten around my waist. God damn, I wanted to feel those thighs tremble like they did just before she came.

"Did you miss me, Kitten?" I asked, moving my kisses down to her neck. She still had that hickey on her neck, and I kissed her there, gently this time.

"Yes. You know I did." Vix replied, squirming in my arms as my beard tickled her neck. I needed to get her in my bed again.

"I like hearin' you say it." I gave her a grin. "Where's your bag?" I asked, and I carried Vix and her bag to my apartment.

"Well, this is this is better than your hotel," Vix said, looking around. I put her down, and she went to the balcony. She opened the sliding doors and stepped out to admire the view of the beach. "Wow, it's a nice view."

"Ain't that the truth. The beach is nice too." I gave her my silly grin that she likes as I came up and wrapped my arms around her.

"That is so cheesy, Sy," Vix said with a little smile.

I hummed in agreement. "It's a fact. You have a real nice ass."

Vix gently tugged my beard and pulled my face down to hers. She kissed me sweetly, her lips light as butterfly wings. She whispered, "take me to bed, Noah."

She didn't have to ask me twice. I lifted her again and took her to my room. I put her on her feet, cupped her face and kissed her softly, feeling her sweet lips against mine. Her soft kisses soothed away the urgency I had been feeling. Now I just wanted to take my time, feel every bit of her.

I let my hands roam lazily over her body, reacquainting myself to her soft curves. Vix let out faint cries as I felt her breasts and gently thumbed her piercings. Vix tried to pull my hips to hers, but I wouldn't be moved. No, I wasn't going to rush. Her hands went to my shorts, trying to get them undone, but I pulled away. She made a sound of frustration, and I chuckled. I wasn't going to let her goad me into losing control. I put my hands under her shirt, feeling her warm, soft skin against my rough hand.

I opened the buttons of her shirt and slipped my hands around her waist, opening her shirt as I went. A surprisingly bright red lacy bra greeted me. How the fuck did I not see that under her shirt? I slipped the shirt down to her elbows and held it there, her arms effectively trapped while I kissed the top of her breasts. I kissed down to her nipples and nipped at them through her bra.

Vix's hips bucked as she said, "What are you doing, Sy?"

"Just admiring you, lil Darlin'," I said, undoing her shorts one-handed and sliding them down her ass. I still held her shirt at her elbows, so I helped her step out of the shorts. "God Damn, Victoria," all she wore now was a matching red thong and bra and red heels. I turned her around in a circle. "You wear the prettiest things for me."

She smiled her naughty smile again. "Do you like them?" I nodded. "I went shopping yesterday. I got these just for you."

"Just for me, huh?" I asked. "Ain't you a good girl." Vix moaned and clamped her thighs shut. I released her arms from her shirt and gave her a little push. She fell on the bed, her eyes wide in surprise. I chuckled.

I took my clothes off, my eyes drinking her in. She watched me undress, her eyes filled with lust. When my shorts came down and my cock was free, she licked at her lips. 

Climbing up the bed, I covered Vix with my body. She wrapped her legs around me and put her hands on my ass. I smiled at her eagerness as she rutted against me, urging me to get inside her. I had wanted to play with her some more, but her desperate grinding me made me give in, and I gave her what she wanted.

******************

I laid in bed, almost dozing when I felt Vix get up. Her phone had been going off for a while. She got it and brought it back to bed. I cuddled into her, putting my head between her tits. It was quickly becoming my favourite place in the world. I inhaled her scent. Her skin always smelled like her coconut body butter, and it made my mouth water.

Her nails tapped in the screen of her phone, and she sighed. "Hey Sy, what are your plans for tonight?"

"We're doing it, Sweet Pea," I said. I didn't want to go anywhere nowhere was better than here. "Are you hungry? I'll order us some food if you are."

"It's just that Yobbo is having a get-together tonight," Vix said.

I looked over at the clock on my bedside. "It's 8.30 Vix, ain't it too late?"

Vix laughed, "maybe for you, old man."

I growled at her but didn't move. "I ain't old." I sighed. "Well, I ain't stoppin' you, Vix, go if you want to go," I said. I didn't mean it. I wasn't going to miss out on an evening with her. I'd go if she wanted to go, but I would rather stay here and hold her all night.

"Yobbo said you could come too."

I thought it over. "Will Rob be there?"

"Yobbo says he didn't ask him to come."

That surprised me, "I thought they were friends."

"Yeah, Nah, Yobbo had a falling out with Rob a couple of years ago when Rob knocked him out. Yob likes you."

"Is there going to be more Karaoke?"

"We usually only do that for birthdays these days. This is just an impromptu piss up."

"Alright," I kissed the skin between her tits. "You owe me lil girl."

"Yay!" Vix said and clapped her hands, making her tits bounce against my face. Fuck.

I took her nipple in my mouth and flicked my tongue over piercing, my dick already at attention. "I think I'll take what I'm owed now," I told Vix as I slid my hand between her legs.

***************

We got to Yobbo's house at nearly 10 pm. I yawned as we went around the back. Maybe Vix was right. I was an old man. As soon as we got around the back, Yobbo ran up to Vix and hugged her, lifting her and twirling her in a circle. Vix giggled, and I felt both a pang of jealousy and warmth inside hearing her laugh.

Then she looked at me and put her hand out. I took it, and she pulled me to her, her arm slipping around my waist. Yobbo, still smiling, put his hand out to me.

"Hey mate, good to see ya again. Want a beer?" I shook his hand and nodded. I followed him over to the cooler. He gave me a beer, and we stood together awkwardly a moment. I watched as Vix said hi to her friends.

There were about half as many people as there was at the last party. They were sitting in plastic chairs around a fire in an old oil barrel. Soft music played as they all chatted together. Vix sat next to Jess. I looked around for Softy but couldn't see him anywhere.

Yobbo was still standing next to me. He looked real nervous, like he had something to say but didn't know how to say it. His dark eyes shifted around as he thought.

"Go on, kid, out with it," I said, probably sounding harsher than I meant to.

"Nah, Sy, it's ok. I just..." Yobbo started.

"Yeah?" I was getting annoyed, was this piece of shit in love with her too?

"I just wanted to say thanks for being there for Vix. She's a good chick who seems to get fucked over a lot. But uh, she really likes you and," he paused again. "ah, fuck, forget it." He ran his hand through his hair.

"You tryin' to give me the 'if you break her heart, I'll fuck you up' speech?"

Yobbo laughed and looked a bit embarrassed. He probably would be blushing if his skin wasn't so dark. "Sorta, mate. Except I'm not dumb enough to think I could fuck you up."

I gave him a grin. I supposed I could like this kid. "Alright, consider me warned."

"It's just that the shit with her ex was hard enough on her, and then Rob did what he did. It pissed me off."

"What do you mean?" His tone said there was more to the story than what Vix and Softy had told me.

Yob was surprised. "You know, got her drunk and high and... oh, you didn't know."

"I knew they made out."

"It was more than that."

Fuck. I looked at Vix. She was hugging Jess, she seemed to be wiping her eyes like she was crying, but she was smiling. "Does she know?" I asked. I knew I'd better never see Rob again, or I'd be fucked. 

He shrugged, "I thought she did. Maybe they didn't actually have sex. Maybe Rob is full of shit. Rob's always been a dick. He just hides it well." Yobbo went on. "The rest of the guys got over their obsession with Vix years ago, but Rob didn't. Still hasn't."

"What about you?"

Yobbo furrowed his brows and frowned. "What about me?"

"Why are you telling me this? When did you get over Vix?"

Yobbo laughed so loudly, and half the party heard and looked at us. Vix smiled at me and gave me a little wave. "Dude, I'm gay."

"Oh," I said, a little embarrassed myself now. "I just thought you were tellin' me all this to scare me off or something." I put my hand out to shake his, "sorry, man."

Still, laughing Yobbo said, "that's gold. You really didn't know? Did you think Vix would flirt with me like she does if she thought I was interested?" He laughed some more, and we joined the party.

Vix got out of her chair and got me to sit. She perched on my knee and kept talking to Jess. I wrapped my arms around her waist and spent the whole night watching her happy and laughing with her friends. Other than when she was naked, I liked her best like this.


	13. Victoria

I was very drunk by the time the party was over. I pulled Sy by the arm as he was trying to say goodnight to Yobbo. "Come on, you big stud, take me to bed or lose me forever."

Sy, who wasn't drunk, looked at me like I insane. "Are you quoting Top Gun at me?"

"Yeah. So?"

"Fuck those Navy assholes," Sy said with a smirk.

I thought for a moment, trying to think of another quote for Sy. "How about... I eat Green Berets for breakfast, and right now, I'm very hungry."

"Gotta go," Sy said to Yobbo and hoisted me over his shoulder. I don't think Sy thought it through cause when he put me down, the world spun. I was very drunk. I took a moment to steady myself, putting my hand against the ute for support. Then my mouth filled with saliva, and I felt burning in my throat.

"I think I'm gonna spew." And I did. Fuck. Not just once, I kept going. Sy pulled my hair out of my face and rubbed my back while I did. It was so fucking embarrassing.

"Sorry, Sy," I said between heaves.

Sy chuckled and said, "Hey, I'm not the one who is going to feel like shit in the mornin'." He kept rubbing my back. I looked at him, and he wasn't mad. He had genuine affection on his face, and maybe he was a little amused too. I turned away, so I didn't vomit on his shoes.

"You're too good to me, Noah," I said when I was finished.

Sy gave me a brief grin. "Feel better, Darlin'?"

"Nope. But I think I'm done being sick for now."

"Come on, lil Kitten, let's get you home." He helped me into the car, wound the windows down, and wiped my chin and lips with a tissue. He pushed my fringe back and kissed my forehead. "Silly girl. You shouldn't drink so much."

"Yes, Daddy," I said, sticking my tongue out at him. Sy stopped moving, and his eyes caught mine. They weren't amused anymore. They were dark and severe.

"Careful, Darlin'," Sy growled and shut the car door. 

I looked across the road and thought I saw someone watching us. It was too dark, and my eyesight was too blurry to make out who it was. I waved at them, and they waved back. 

Sy got in the car and said, "who are you waving at, Sweet Pea?"

I pointed across the road, and no one was there. Fuck. I'm hallucinating too. I closed my eyes, and I think I passed out before Sy even started the car.

************************

I woke up Sy's bed, groaning. The world wasn't spinning anymore, and I didn't think I would throw up, but my head pounded with every heartbeat. Although the blinds were closed, the room was too bloody bright. I pulled the blankets up over my head.

"You awake, Vix?" Sy called out to me from his lounge room. I heard the tv turn off, and his footsteps came closer.

"No."

Sy chuckled, "come on, Vix. Why don't you get up and have a shower? You'll feel better."

"Do I have to?"

"Yup," Sy said. He pulled the covers off the bed. "Get up. It's one in the afternoon." He paused and looked me over. I looked down and realised I was naked.

"Why am I naked?" I asked. Stupid question, I suppose, but I still wanted to know what happened.

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"Getting in your ute. I think."

"Well, I carried you to bed. Then I took your clothes off cause they stunk of vomit and tried to get you into the shower, but you wouldn't let me." Sy was still smirking. I covered my eyes with my arm.

"What else?"

"I had to tell you very firmly a few times that we weren't having sex."

Well, that's fucking embarrassing. "Is that all?" I asked, really hoping I hadn't tried to give him a lap dance and fallen on my face or something.

"That's the gist of it. Come on. I'll help you. If you get up now, I'll take you to lunch."

*******************

Hours later, I was feeling better. Sy and I watched Predator and I was laying with my head in Sy's lap. I was thinking about Sy's reaction when I had called him Daddy last night. I remembered what I had said to him when we first met too. He had reacted similarly to the word Daddy both times. I hadn't meant it then. I was just flirting, commenting on how much older he was than me. But what if he hadn't been?

I looked at him and thought he kind of was a bit of a Daddy. He was indulgent, kind but firm, protective and supportive. Is that what he wanted? I thought about how he called me kitten and lil girl a lot.

I felt myself getting more and more turned on by the thought. I had never called a guy Daddy before. I've never been with a guy that suited the title, that's for sure. I thought about what I knew about DaddyDom/LittleGirl world. I knew I wasn't a little, and I had no interest in little kids toys, Disney princesses or colouring. Maybe a middle? Definitely a brat.

I felt a smile form on my lips. I was a bit of a brat, always teasing Sy, trying to make him lose his cool. I loved it when he took the control back, though, when he tamed me. Just thinking the word tame made my core quiver. The movie was suddenly very dull, and I started to play with Sy's beard, running my fingers over his hair, wondering how it could be so coarse and so soft at the same time.

"Do ya think you could stop that, Vix?" He said gruffly. His lips were slightly turned up, though. I think he liked it when I teased him.

I wriggled on the lounge and hummed a no. I gave his beard a little tug.

"Vix, stop." He wasn't smiling anymore. His voice had taken on that authoritative Captain Syverson tone.

"No," I said defiantly. I pulled on the hair just below his bottom lip. His lip made a little pop when it fell back into place.

Sy growled and held my wrist. He turned the tv off and said, "you have my attention, lil girl. What do you want?"

Well, it was now or never.

"I want you, Daddy," I said. I could hear the desire in my voice. I reached over and tugged his beard again with my other hand.

Sy's eyes went wide. He grabbed both my wrists and held them in one hand. "You're in so much trouble, Victoria." Sy's eyes narrowed, and his blue eyes darkened. I yelped and tried to get away, but his hand was so strong. I was so fucking turned on. I couldn't believe I had never thought of this before. All I wanted was to be put over his knee, be spanked and then have him ruin me. "I think you need to be taught a lesson, don't you, Kitten?"

I moaned, and my hips bucked. My god, he was getting me so hot. Sy ran his free hand over my nipple, flicking the metal bar through my shirt as he did. I nearly came. My body was throbbing. It was so strong between my legs, and it was almost painful.

"Yes, Daddy," I tried to say, but it came out hoarse and whispered.

He rolled me over, so my stomach was over his thighs. I could feel his hard cock against my hip. Fuck, I wanted him. I wanted his cock to destroy me.

He pulled my pants down. I felt my underwear sticking to my wet pussy. There was no way he could miss the effect he was having on me. I was almost embarrassed at how turned on I was. I tried to get away. I was so confused. I was hotter than hell but scared too. Sy ran his hand over my arse, fingers gripping me.

"Fuck, Vix. You've got such a pretty ass." Then he said, "listen, Vix. Green means you're ok, and it feels good. Keep going. Amber means I'm still ok, but I'm close to my limit. Any more is too much. Red means stop. Ok?" I nodded. It seemed simple enough. That he had enough thought to prepare me like that in the heat of the moment just made me want him more. The way he controlled himself like that was so hot. It was what I was desperate for. "Say it back, so I know you understand."

"Green means good. Amber means no harder, and red means stop." I gasped. I was impatient, hungry for what he was going to do to me.

His hand came down on my ass. My legs kicked out as the sting hit me. Fuck, it stung, but it felt so good. His hand came down again, I hardly felt it this time, but the slap sound made me tingle.

He rubbed my ass, and his fingers grazed over my slit. "Tell me, lil Kitten, do you like being spanked?"

"Yes."

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, daddy." He put his finger in me and groaned. He put another in straight away and started scissoring them inside me, his fingers moving rapidly, hitting my spot. Then his thumb was on my clit. My legs tried to clamp shut, but Sy held me open, and I felt drawn to the edge. I arched my back, pushing my hips up. I felt my thighs start to tremble, and the familiar warmth began to spread, radiating from between my legs. Then Sy removed his fingers, and my orgasm was painfully out of reach again.

I looked back at him, furious. "Why would you do that?" I was floored. I couldn't believe it.

Sy laughed, his eyes full of amusement. He kissed the top of my head. "You didn't think I'd let you get away with it that easily, did you, Kitten?" My jaw dropped. "Oh, you did," Sy said. He put his fingers in his mouth, sucking them and closing his eyes. His eyes held no laughter when he opened them, only animalistic desire. "Silly girl," he drawled. "I haven't even gotten started."

Twice more, he did it. Twice more, he spanked me and brought me to the brink of orgasm. I was near tears, my arse was sore, and my clit was so sensitive, and I was desperate. I thought about calling the whole thing off, but I didn't want him to stop. Not really.

When he spanked me and touched me a fourth time, I begged. "Daddy, please, please," I begged. "I'm sorry, Daddy."

"Alright, Kitten, stop your fussing." He let go of my wrists. "You did real good lil girl."

He lifted me up and wrapped my legs around his waist, and carried me to bed. I held him close, nearly exhausted but still desperate for him to let me cum.

He stripped my pants off and took my shirt off. "What colour are you, Victoria?" He asked as he undressed me. He'd asked me a couple of times now.

"Green," I replied.

"That's good, Darlin'. Do you want to cum now?"

"Fuck. Please, yes." Sy's eyes flicked to mine, his eyebrow raised. I quickly added, "Daddy."

Sy smiled and put his head between my legs. He licked at my core, and I grabbed his head, trying to get him to go faster.

"Hands up, Kitten. Don't make me tie them." I would have thought that was an idle threat a few days ago, but not now. I slowly raised my hands above my head and gripped a pillow.

Sy grinned. He was fucking loving it. He went back between my legs as soon as I stopped moving. Within seconds I felt my release approach. When it hit me, I felt tears fall down my cheeks, and I screamed his name. I felt my orgasm roll over me. Over and over, I rode those waves of ecstasy until it was over. I had never screamed or cried before. Shouted, yelled, cried out yes. But I had never screamed.

Sy's cock was rubbing at my entrance as I came down from the high, "Do you want this, Victoria?" He asked, his voice strained. It seemed his control was finally at its limit.

"Yes, Daddy," I murmured.

"We can stop if you want, Kitten. I put you through a lot, and I can tell you ain't used to it."

I grabbed at his face and kissed hard, my tongue searching for his licking at him, "Please, Daddy. I need you inside me."

Sy groaned and slid himself in. He filled me all the way, and I felt myself stretching to accommodate him. The pleasure of the feeling made me feel hot again. "You're still so tight and wet for me, Darlin'." I nuzzled my face into his shoulder, kissing his warm, furry skin. His hairs tickled my nose, but he felt so good.

He went slowly but forcefully as he fucked me. Like he was reading my mind, he knew I needed that gentle but firm feeling from him.

Sy kissed my neck, sucking on me again. He wanted to mark me again, and I didn't fight it. I liked looking at his little love bites on my neck, and I liked feeling like he claimed me. I wanted him to claim me, own me, and I wanted to belong to him.

He pulled out briefly and flipped me on my stomach. He laid over my back, and his weight felt comforting on me. He held my hand as he entered me again and put his legs on the outside of mine. It felt so intimate, so safe, as he put his other hand over my throat. He kissed my back and neck and whispered in my ear. "You're so beautiful, Victoria. You feel so good. Are you my good girl? Are you all mine?"

"Yes, yes, I am." I felt my peak rise again as he whispered those words. And I was. I was his. He had owned me tonight in a way I had never felt before. Surely no one else could make me feel like he does. "I'm yours, Noah." It was the truth. There could be no one else.

He grunted then and let out a small wordless cry, and I felt him release inside me, filling me with his seed. He squeezed my hand as he did, and I squeezed it back, letting him know I felt it too.


	14. Syverson

I let my fingertips glide over Vix's naked sleeping body. She was laying on her tummy, hugging a pillow under her head, and her cute round ass was bare to the ceiling. She was too hard to resist. My fingers traced the tattooed line up the back of her leg up to those pink bows. She broke out in goosebumps as I went, making me chuckle at how responsive she was, even asleep.

I looked at her other tattoos. She had an Elvis tattoo on her shoulder blade, which made me laugh since Elvis had died even before I was born. She had a rockabilly looking voodoo doll on her other shoulder, and a rose on her neck, just below her hairline.

I couldn't see my favourite one right now. Vix had two cherries hidden away below her panty line right near her hip bone. Sometimes I wondered if someone else had told her she tasted like cherries. I tried not to think about it too much. Right now, I knew she was mine, and that was that.

For over a month, Vix had spent most of the days she wasn't working at my apartment. She kept clothes here, her toothbrush, shampoo and that sweet-smelling body butter she used.

I was used to missing girlfriends, but it felt different with Vix. I don't know what it was about her. I don't know if I would have lasted twenty years in the army if I had known she was waiting at home for me. I sure as shit wouldn't have been able to concentrate on half the stuff I had been supposed to do. I know leaving her would have been harder than it had been when I'd left other women behind. Maybe it was because I was getting older that I wanted to hang onto her. The thought of ever leaving her hurt me in ways I wasn't used to.

There were many things Vix made me feel that I wasn't used to. I ain't never been called Daddy like she did. She was independent and strong, and I've always needed my women to be like that. Part of the reason my parent's marriage had failed was that my mother couldn't be without a man. It's also why we had moved around a lot. She was always chasing some man.

Vix was strong, but she had a vulnerability that made me want to protect her in a way that I hadn't wanted to before. I wanted to keep her safe from everything and everyone. I even started to get angry at Softy lately when he paid too much attention to her. It scared me to think about what I would do if I ever saw Macca or Rob again.

Vix stirred and stretched. She opened her pretty big hazel eyes and caught me staring. "Hey, Noah." Her voice croaked, still half asleep.

"Mornin' Darlin'," I replied.

Making a little content hum in her throat, she snuggled into me, pressing her face into my chest. "You're so warm."

"You cold, Kitten?"

"A little," she replied. That was probably my fault. I had lowered the blanket to look at her. I pulled the blanket back up and snuggled into her.

Summer was almost over, which was a relief. It was so hot here. I had thought about shaving my beard off, but Vix had talked me out of it. Well, when I mentioned it, she had just stuck her bottom lip out, and that was enough for me not to do it. I threatened a few more times to get her to pout again. She made me bone up when she did that. Fuck, thinking about it now made my dick stand up, and we didn't have time for that now.

"C'mon Vix. We better get a move on," I said.

"Can't we go next week? Or next month. Or never." Vix mumbled into my chest. I could feel her soft lips move against my skin. God damn. Everything she did made me want to fuck her.

I chuckled, "she can't be that bad."

"She's not bad at all. I just don't want to go."

"Let's go, Vix. I got her a present and everything."

Vix's head shot up. "You got my mother a present? You've never bought me anything except that time you left a flower on my car." I looked at her, confused.

"What flower?"

Vix's jaw dropped, "so you didn't do that either? I had hoped it was you and not some random flower someone had dropped." She sounded mad, but the corners of her mouth were drawing up, and she was pursing her lips, trying not to smile.

"I might not buy you things, but I make you things all time," I said, smirking.

"Your dick isn't a present." She hit me with the pillow.

"Look," I said, pulling the blankets down. "I made you something right now."

"Well, it's a shame we have to go." Vix wriggled against me.

"We have time, Kitten."

"Do we, Daddy?" Vix started to kiss my chest, moving slowly down my abdomen.

"You bet your sweet ass we do."

***************************

Vix and I went on the road only an hour later than we had planned. Vix's mom lived on a small property on the city's outskirts. I had no idea what to expect from Vix's mom as Vix had fun not telling me anything about her.

I was a little surprised when Vix said she wanted me to meet her mom. I was happy too because I hoped it meant that she is thinking about our relationship in a more serious way. I know I was. Hell, I even started googling how I could migrate here permanently. I was too old for easy options. It seemed the only way would be a partner visa. It had only been two months that we had been together and I already dreaded leaving her.

We pulled up at an old cottage house. It had that real old charm of a place that probably stood for nearly 100 years. There was a well-tended garden with all kinds of silly garden gnomes hidden throughout. I guess Vix got her eccentric tastes from her mother.

When we pulled up, a 50-year-old version of Vix came out of the door, minus the tattoos and vintage clothing. It was like having a time machine, and I could see what Vix would look like in 25 years. I wasn't mad about it either.

"Hi, Vicky!" Vix's mom called out, running to hug her. "I've missed you, Boomie kid."

Vix rolled her eyes and said, "I literally spoke to you yesterday, Mum." 

"But I haven't seen you since Christmas."

Vix released herself from her mother's grip and held her hand out to me. I took it, and she said, "Mum. This is Sy." She smiled at me as she said it. I thought I heard some pride and a hint of nervousness as she did. God, she made my knees weak. To think that Vix was proud to introduce me to her mom made my whole body feel warm.

"Hi, Mrs Davis, you can call me Noah." I put my hand out to shake, but she pulled me into a hug and kissed my cheek. I hadn't expected that.

"You had better call me Irene then." She stood back but kept her arms on my shoulders and gave me a real hard look. She looked me up and down first, then she looked me in the eyes.

"Yup, Vix, I got a good feeling about this one." She pursed her lips. "Beards got to go."

"Ma! No way." Vix looked horrified. Shit, she did like the beard.

"I'm with your momma on this one," I winked at Vix.

"Yeah, I like you. You can keep this one, Vicky." Irene linked arms with Vix and me and walked us to the house. 

She got us settled in her spare bedroom then made us lunch. We ate outside, and Vix seemed real happy. She kept holding my knee as she ate, giving me squeezes now and again.

After lunch, Irene showed me around her yard. She had a few pigs in a sty and a couple of alpacas and horses in the back paddock.

"Do you ride, Irene?" I asked, trying to make conversation.

She shook her head. "Nah, they aren't mine. Those belong to the neighbour, but they like to visit because apples always seem to end up on the fence. I have no idea where they come from." She shrugged exaggeratedly as if that would prove her innocence.

I found very quickly that Irene and Vix not only looked alike but had similar senses of humour. Although Vix didn't talk about her mother much, they seemed close. Vix told me that her mum never got over her Dad and had stayed single since he left about ten years ago. Vix had little to do with her Dad at all. Irene didn't seem like the type who couldn't get a date, so it must have been by choice.

Later that afternoon, Vix had driven to the local shops to buy some alcohol and more cigarettes. We were going to stop and pick them up on the way, but since we ran late, we drove straight here. I offered to go with Vix, but Irene insisted that I stay.

"I want to get to know Noah better. We will be fine. I won't bite him." Irene told Vix. Vix rolled her eyes, gave me a quick kiss and left.

Irene and I sat near her outdoor fire pit and watched the sunset. It was colder here than in the city, and I was wearing a hoodie for the first time since I got to Australia. I drank some beers while Irene drank the wine I had bought her. It was real pretty here, and I realised how little of Australia I had seen. 

"So Noah, what are your intentions with my daughter?" Irene asked. The question only half surprised me. I'd been asked before. What surprised me was the reaction when I started answering.

"Well, Irene, I..."

Irene bellowed with laughter. "Oh, my God. I can't believe you thought I was serious!"

"Yeah, you got me." I shook my head but had to laugh at myself. Fuck, that was embarrassing. Maybe it was because I cared what Irene thought of me. I wanted to tell her how strongly I felt for Vix. I wanted her to know I would take care of her.

"Vicky is a big girl," Irene said. "I always told her, her partner is her choice. She's the one who has to fuck them."

I choked on my beer.

"You're so easy to get one over on, Noah." 

"Well, I guess I ain't met a mom like you before."

"Well, I'm not this way with every guy she's brought to me. I haven't met a boyfriend of hers that I liked since high school. Mark was his name, he was about 21, and she was 18. Adorable boy. Probably wasn't good for Vix though, she was too wild for him, but he was a good one. I think you can handle her, though. I think you'll be good for her."

I didn't know what to say to that. I took it as a compliment and said, "thank you, Irene."

"How much older than her are you?"

I shifted in my chair. "Twelve years." Was this where her mood changed, and suddenly I was a dirty old man?

"I'm not judging, Noah. She's 27, not 17. Lots of women need someone older than them. Vix does for sure." Irene went on, "she's always been a willful kid. She was always pushing the boundaries. But she likes boundaries. We all do, I suppose, to some extent, but with Vicky, it's more than that. She's always gone for alpha male types, well, except Mark, that is. But she's always been disappointed. Like her last ex, he comes across as strong, but within a few minutes of meeting him, you could tell it was bravado. He was weak as piss. I don't get that from you. She'll fight you, don't get me wrong, but if you want to keep her, stay firm when you need to."

I nodded. I didn't know what to say. I had picked up most of what she had told me on my own. It did surprise me that Irene would be so honest. She was telling me her daughter had a submissive streak that needed to be attended to. No wonder Vix was so open about sex if this was how she was raised. 

Vix came back not long after that. She brought out two blankets, gave one to her mum, then cuddled up into me on my lap and laid the blanket over us. The three of us sat there, looking at the stars and talking.

"I have a few odds and ends that need fixing around the house. Do you think you could help with that tomorrow, Noah?" Irene asked.

"Mum!" Vix had exclaimed. "You don't need to, Sy," she said to me while throwing daggers at her mother.

"I'll be happy to help out, ma'am," I said. "As thanks for being such a gracious host." I winked at Irene, and she gave me a big smile.

Vix rolled her eyes.

Sometime later, I realised Vix hadn't said anything for a while. I looked at her and saw she had fallen asleep, wine glass still in one hand and a burned-out cigarette in the other. I chuckled softly and tucked some stray hair behind her ear. She was so tempting asleep as she was, with her big round lips and pretty pink cheeks warmed by the wine and fire. I took the glass out of her hand, passed it to Irene and tossed the butt in the fire.

"Well, it looks like I better get her to bed," I said to Irene. I hooked my arm under her back and knees and held her close as I carried her to bed.

"Noah," Irene said, following us inside. "I'm glad she found you."

"I am too." I leaned over and kissed Irene on the cheek and took my lil' Darlin' to bed.


	15. Victoria

As soon as Sy and I woke up in the morning, Mum had him doing things around the house. It wasn't bad. I mean, seeing my man do manly shit made me so turned on I swear my socks were wet. It turns out, though, nothing prepared me for how good he looked chopping firewood. 

Mum and I sat at her outdoor table and watched him. It was the best porn I had ever seen in my life. I felt bad for him, though. It didn't look easy. Sy told me he liked Mum and wanted to help. I feel like they had bonded, which was weird to me. My mum hardly spoke to my boyfriends when I'd bring them here.

"Mum, why are you getting him to do this?" I asked. My voice was hoarse. I think I chained smoked the whole time I watched him. I needed him to stop. I wanted him to fuck me stupid. "Just go and buy the pre-cut shit from the servo. I'll pay for it if that's the problem." Maybe I could get him to come with me to buy it. We could stop on the way and have a quickie in the car.

"I only asked him to do those few things in the house. He saw that I didn't have a lot of wood cut, and he offered to do it."

"You didn't have to say yes. I'm going to tell him to stop. We'll go to the shop and buy you firewood." And find a nice quiet fire trail...

"No, this wood smells nicer and lasts longer than that pine shit they sell." She gave me a sly look. "Are you telling me this isn't the best thing you've seen in years? He's gorgeous."

I rolled my eyes and told her she needed to get out more. She wasn't wrong, though.

Sy had taken his shirt off and had stuck it in his back pocket. He had worked up a nice sweat too. He had joined a gym and had been working out the past month or so. Although he had always had a nicely defined, flat abdomen, his muscles were starting to show. His arms were fantastic. As he chopped, you could see each muscle ripple beneath his sweaty glistening skin, veins almost popping out of his forearms, his hands hidden by work gloves. It was almost like being hypnotised watching him work.

I don't know how long I sat there perving on Sy, but I only came out of it when Mum started snapping her fingers near my ear.

"Vick, are you listening to me?" She was laughing at me.

"What?" I felt the heat rise in my cheeks.

"He's gonna burn. I have sunscreen above the fridge. Why don't you get it for him?" Her eyes were glowing with amusement. "You'll probably need to help him put it on his back." She didn't even try to hide her grin.

"Mum, I don't even know what to say to you right now."

"Think about it while I go to the shop to grab some food for dinner." She got up to go inside. I got up too. "I was only joking about the sunscreen. Tell Noah that he's done enough. I'll be gone for about two hours." Mum paused and said in a teasing tone, "text me if I should be longer than that."

"Holy shit, Mum. Can you not? You've never been remotely nice to my boyfriends before, and now you're telling me to have sex with him."

"I like this one. None of your other boyfriends have ever offered to do anything for me. I figured I'd pay him back by leaving you two alone a while."

"Sounds like you want to thank him yourself." I joked.

Mum looked at me and winked. "Believe me, Vicky, if he were 15 years older and not your boyfriend, I would."

Well, shit.

When Mum left, I got Sy a towel and some cold water. He smiled when he saw me, that smile he has where he drops his head a little, gives it a slow shake and looks at me out of the corner of his eye. You know, the one that makes me want to rip my clothes off.

"Thanks, Sweet Pea," he said, taking his gloves off with his teeth. I gulped. I handed him his drink.

"You didn't have to do this, you know. But thanks."

"Honestly, Darlin', I kind of miss workin'."

"I suppose you can't get a job on your visa, can you?"

Sy drank the water down fast. I should have brought the jug. God, he looked good. I chewed my lip, watching his Adam's apple bounce as he drank. Small beads of sweat rolled down his neck as he threw back his head to get the last of the water and disappeared into his chest hair.

"No, I can't." I heard a faint laugh in his voice as he spoke. I met his eyes. "What are you looking at, Victoria."

"Nothing, just thinking I should have brought two towels. You're very sweaty." I handed Sy the towel he wiped his face. "Mum says you've done enough. I'll get you some more water," I said, taking his glass.

"Where's your momma? I heard her car leave." Sy moved close to me, put his hand on my bum and pulled me into him. He held the back of my neck with the other hand. I thought he would kiss me, but he waited for my reply.

"She's gone to get dinner. She will be about 2 hours."

He kissed me, and his tongue forced itself into my mouth. He pushed his hips into me, and I felt him growing hard. I returned his kiss, feeling my shirt dampen from his sweaty chest. I kissed his salty neck, breathing in his masculine scent and spicy cologne, it's sharp smell making my nose twitch. He slipped his thigh between my legs and rubbed himself against my hip.

"You look so good, Daddy," I whispered in his ear. He groaned like he does when I first call him Daddy. He knows what that means, and he knows what I need. "You made your little Kitten think very naughty things." I nibbled on his ear.

He didn't say anything. He just lifted me and carried me back into the house. I dropped the glass on the grass, hoping like hell it didn't break.

He took us to the bed and sat on the edge. I rubbed myself against him, needing something to ease the growing need between my legs. Sy put his fingers in my hair, made a fist and pulled it back, forcing my neck to be exposed. He sucked and licked my neck while reaching a hand under my shirt. He pulled the top of my bra down, letting my breast spill out as he kneaded them in his hands. He kept his palm rubbing against my nipples, sending shock waves to my core.

He lifted my shirt over my head and took a nipple into his mouth. His tongue swirled around it, catching my piercing as he went. I closed my eyes, letting the sensations wash over me.

"Open your eyes, Kitten," Sy said. I met his eyes and watched as he took me in his teeth. His tongue was rapidly flicking the tiny bud my nipple had become. I groaned. It was too much, and I squirmed on his lap. His arms wrapped around me, one snaking up my back, holding my shoulder in place, the other around my waist. "Be still, Victoria." He ordered. I tried. I really did, but I couldn't. He held me in place while his mouth played with me.

Sy removed his arm from my waist and forced his hand down the front of my pants. His movements were urgent and frustrated. My pants were too tight.

"I like you better in a skirt." He growled around my nipple. His annoyance made his voice rough and authoritative.

Sy didn't stop seeking what he wanted and crawled his fingers down my stomach until they reach my wet opening. His frantic actions stopped, and he groaned as he found me, pushing a finger into me. It was as if all he ever wanted was to be inside me. He curled his finger, pressing against my spot.

"Daddy, that's so good," I breathed into his ear.

He slipped a second finger in, and I felt the welcomed stretch. It only satisfied me a moment, and I needed more.

"Do you want my cock in your mouth, lil' Kitten?" he asked.

"Please, Daddy," I whispered. I always want that.

Sy took his fingers out of me and brought them to my lips. He ran his wet fingertips over them, roughly coating them in my arousal. His deep blue eyes were on fire as he played with my lips. He had a look of concentration on his face, his mouth was slightly open, and his brows were lowered.

"Lick it off, Kitten," he ordered. I slowly ran my tongue over my lips, making sure he gets a good look. His eyes followed my tongue while he licked at his lips. He slowly put his fingers in my mouth, and I licked those clean too, sucking them like they were his cock.

"You're my good girl, aren't you?" Sy asked. I nodded, and he withdrew his fingers out slowly. Sy stood me up and started to undress me, kissing me as he went. "Use your words, Victoria."

"I'm your good girl," I said, feeling the heat between my legs travel throughout my body, warming me to my toes.

Sy took his pants off and sat back on the edge of the bed. He sat me on my knees in front of him, his legs spread wide. His sex was at my eye level, and I couldn't stop staring. His thick cock twitched at me while I waited. He did that sometimes, make me wait. I both loved it and hated it. Naked as I was, I feared leaving a wet patch on the floor. I was so ready for him. But I waited.

"You can have it now, Victoria," Sy said.

I moved quickly, taking him into my mouth and holding the base in my hand. I was too turned on to build up, and I sucked at him straight away. My tongue made little circles on his shaft and flicked around his head as I went. I loved the way his skin felt over his rigid sex. My lips pleasantly tingled as I moved, tickled by the rough ridges his veins made. I looked up at Sy because I know he likes it when I do. He touched my cheek, his thumb caressing my skin, his subtle way of letting me know I was a good girl.

Sy pulled my hair back and held it for me so it wouldn't get in the way. I licked and sucked at him until he had enough.

"Slow down, Kitten," he said. I whimpered, and he took control, using my hair to keep the pace he wanted. I was too turned on to keep it slow, and he knew it.

"Touch yourself, Victoria," Sy said. "I want you to cum with my dick in your mouth."

I spread my legs wide and felt how wet I was. I let my fingers glide over my slit until they were coated in my sticky essence. I moaned onto his cock as my fingers explored my swollen sex. I felt my hard little nub and shivered. It wouldn't take me long. I let my fingers sit on either side and made the small circles I liked.

"Kitten, you look so fucking good right now," Sy told me, his voice ragged and hoarse. I was finding it wasn't easy to focus on Sy. He guided my movements on his cock with one hand and pinched my nipple with the other. He knew I was close, and he knew what I needed to hear.

"Come for me, Kitten, come for Daddy." It was what I needed, and I was overcome by ripples of bliss, crying out around his cock. Sy picked up the speed and fucked my mouth as I came. Soon his cock felt bigger in my mouth, and I knew he was close too. He grunted as he moved my mouth up and down, sometimes going so deep I gagged. "Fuck, Kitten, you've got such a good little mouth."

I felt Sy unload in my mouth as he made his deep final thrusts. I swallowed him into me until I had all he could give.

Sy withdrew from my mouth and grinned at me before lifting me. He put me on the bed beside him, and he laid us both down. We held each other close, staring into each other's eyes. He traced my eyebrows with his fingertip then ran it down my nose. He gently kissed the tip of my nose.

He held my head to his still sweaty chest and smoothed my tousled hair back down. Almost to himself, I heard him say, "I must have done something right in my life to get a girl like you."


	16. Syverson

A few weeks after we visited Irene, Vix, and I moved in together. The decision to do so wasn't ideal, more of a convenience than a desire on her end, at least.

Vix talked about how Softy moved in with her and Jess, grumbling about how awkward it was. Softy and Vix had mostly made up. They had a long talk about what he had said to her. He knew he had fucked up, and Vix accepted his apology. Which is why he still has teeth. However, Vix was still feeling uncomfortable living with them as a couple.

"I feel like a gross intruder or something. I don't feel like it's my home anymore. Like, I always put a robe on in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. I never used to, unless Pete was staying over, and they usually spent most of their time at Pete's."

"Why don't you move out?" I asked. We were on my balcony, it was late, and Vix had wanted a cigarette and obviously wanted to talk about how she was feeling. So I wrapped a blanket around her and sat her on my lap while she smoked and talked.

"I'm lazy, I suppose. Or maybe it's that I've lived with Jess so long it's weird to be without her."

"You worried about living on your own?"

"No." I could tell by how her jaw was set that was at least some of it.

"Move in with me," I suggested. It wasn't the romantic way I had meant to ask her. I was going to wait until the lease on this place was up. But since she was feeling this way, it was a solution to both of our problems. My problem being I wanted her in my bed every night.

"What?" Vix asked. I didn't know why she seemed so surprised by the suggestion.

"Move in with me. You practically live with me already."

"I don't know. Maybe I should spend some time on my own. Live by myself for a while." Vix sighed and said under her breath, "I may as well get used to it now."

I was disappointed she didn't say yes straight away. More disappointing was that she thought she was going to be alone. "You don't have to be by yourself, Kitten. I can take care of you. I want to take care of you."

"Can you take care of me?" Her anger was surprising and sudden. "You'll be leaving in about nine months. What will I do then?" For a minute, I thought my heart would break, hearing her say that. We hadn't talked about me leaving since the day she came to my hotel two months ago. A lot had changed since then.

I held her face in my hands, "Look at me, Vix. There ain't no way I'm leavin' you now. If I have to leave, I'll be takin' you with me. Don't you have any idea how much you mean to me?"

She shook her head and tried to look away. Her eyes were filling with tears, and her little chin trembled. How does she not know how I feel?

"Victoria, I love you," I said, looking into her eyes, so she knows its true. "You know that, right?"

A tear spilled from her eye and ran down her cheek. I wiped it away quickly with my thumb, not wanting to see the evidence of my failure. I hated myself. I didn't ever what to be the reason she cried, and here she was, crying on my lap.

She shook her head. Her anger was gone, and she said, "you've never said that to me before."

I looked at her with surprise. I thought back and realised she was right. I wasn't one for I love you's much. I had always shown my love more in actions. Of course, I had said 'I love you' to plenty of girls and not always meant it. I didn't say it often, I just felt it. I think I had loved Vix for so long now that I thought she knew I loved her by the way I treated her.

I pulled her into me, holding her tight. "I'm sorry, Kitten. I thought you knew." I couldn't feel her through the blankets, so I slipped my hand in and found her warm skin. I caressed the silky smooth skin of her thigh gently, and the touch soothed us both.

She lifted her head and kissed me in that gentle way she does when she wants to show me that she loves me.

"I love you, Noah," she said.

"I know, Kitten," I assured her. I smiled at her and kissed her pretty little nose. It was cold on my lips, and I thought I had better get her inside.

Two weeks later, I was grunting under the weight of our new lounge. Softy and Jess were helping us move. It was a little two-bedroom home about 5 minutes away from Jess's house. That had been important to Vix. She didn't want to move too far from Jess.

Softy was acting weird. He kept looking at Jess and Vix and would start saying something, then stop when they came near. I took the hint and told the girls Softy and I had to go to the hardware store.

Vix asked us to bring her back a "sanga with tomato sauce and onions."

"I hope you know what she's talking about," I said to Softy. He laughed and said he does. After seeing if Jess wanted one, we got in his car.

"So what is it you've been tryin' to tell me," I asked Softy as soon as we drove away.

"Listen, Sy, don't freak out, ok?"

"Not a great start," I said.

"Sy, I'm letting you know I'm on it, ok. I need to tell you that first." Softy glanced at me.

"Alright, you're on it. What is it?" I asked. I figured there was only one thing it could be. "Is it that pussy Macca bothering her again?" If he were, I'd fuck him up. Then spank the living tar out of Vix for not telling me.

Surprisingly, Softy said it wasn't him. "As far as I can tell, Macca's done, over it. Not interested and moved on." Softy licked his lips and glanced at me. "It's Robbo."

I inhaled sharply. God damn it. "What's he done?"

"It's a long story Sy. Just listen, ok?" I nodded, and Softy continued. "Jess told me things had been weird at her place since January. Like sometimes little things were out of place, you know how anal she is about things being clean, so I dismissed it as her being anxious. I feel like a dick about that now and..." Softy looked at me again. What does he think I'm going to do?

"Never mind." He said. His face looked weird like he was scared. Why was he afraid? "Back on topic. A few weeks ago, she found the toilet seat up in the house when she got back from work. I hadn't been there, and neither had you. She's told me all this, and I never thought it was a big deal. Jess has anxiety, and I just dismissed it, you know? Like maybe the toilet seat was up cause Vix had cleaned it or something.

"Anyway, when I moved in a few weeks ago, a couple of things happened. First, Jess reckons that stuff wasn't moved around anymore. Second, I noticed a car parked outside our place at night only when Vix was home. It was never there in the morning but there every night. Got my cop senses tingling, you know? I thought it was some friend of Macca checking up on Vix or some crim I'd had a run-in with.

"Last week, I reported it. I was able to run the plates, and it came back as registered to Rob's Mum. That's why I didn't know the car. I wanted to make sure it was him. When Vix came home yesterday, and I saw the car there, I rang Rob. The car lit up with the light from the phone, and I saw it was him." Softy finished.

"So you're telling me he's stalking her and probably has been for a couple of months?" Softy nods slowly. He still looks scared. I felt my old training kick in. Take a step back, assess the situation, your options, and your resources. But I could feel my body heat rising, and I ground my teeth. I told myself I had to calm down. "You better tell me you have a plan," I said to Softy through gritted teeth.

"I've been documenting the car before I even knew it was him." Softy was talking slow and gently, trying to calm me too. Fuck him. Would he be calm if it was Jess? "We are building a harassment case. But there's no evidence other than him sitting on the street, he doesn't make himself known, and there's no proof he got in the house. We need more. Has Vix mentioned anything weird to you?"

I thought quickly and said the only thing that came to mind. "She mentioned a flower on her car once about a month ago. That's all she's told me anyway." It would be like her to hide it from me. She worried about me. I don't think she understands what I am capable of. Or maybe she does, and that's why she worries.

"I don't know if we should tell her yet. My cop brain says tell her she has a right to know. My friend brain says I don't want her to worry about it. I'm not going to tell her yet, but I think we need to keep an eye on her." Softy said.

I agreed. "Don't worry. I'll be driving Vix to and from work every shift from now on."

"There's something else my cop brain is telling me you need to hear." Softy gives me that glance again before he says, "look, Sy, I need to be real clear. Australian self-defence laws are different to the US. You can use reasonable force to protect yourself or others only if a reasonable person would have thought their life was in danger. If you can run away, you are expected to run away or if under attack, you can take aggressive action until you or the crim run away. You can't just beat the shit out of someone when they are trespassing. Hell, people have been charged with murder for killing intruders in their homes."

"Are you fucking serious?" I said, gobsmacked. "That's the dumbest shit I've ever heard."

"Maybe, but it's how it goes. Even what you did with Macca was borderline."

"Well, what the fuck am I supposed to do, Softy? Stand back while he fucking kills her or rapes her or both. I won't do it, Softy." I felt impotent. Is he saying there is nothing I can do? All the training I've had, all the deaths I was responsible for both friend and foe, what's the point of it when I can't use it to protect the girl I love. "Can I get her a taser or even some mace?"

"All weapons, even butter knives, are illegal to own for self-defence."

"Fuck, that's some bullshit right there."

"Oi, settle the fuck down." Softy said. I could feel my blood pressure start to normalise. I wasn't like this. Maybe I was. Yeah, I'd had to kill people before, hurt people, but it was never personal. We played a game, and the stakes were high, but I knew that going in. I didn't hate my enemy. He was just a block in my path to my survival. This was something else. This was personal.

"I'm cool," I lied to him. "You know when Yobbo had that party a while back? Yobbo told me Rob had been saying that he got her drunk and high on purpose that night they got together. He said they didn't just make out a bit, and Yobbo said Rob told him he'd fucked her."

"I've never heard that."

"He'd hardly tell you, would he? You'd ask Jess, and Jess would tell Vix."

"I suppose."

"I'm just tellin' you what he said."

"Fucking prick," Softy said. I agreed.

We drove the rest of the way in silence. I got to the hardware store, and on any other day, it would have blown my mind that they bbq sausages for charities outside every weekend. This country is weird as fuck.

I had no idea what to buy, and I couldn't think about anything except keeping Vix safe. But I had to come back with something, or the girls would be suspicious. I looked over at the multi-tools and Swiss Army knives. These can't be illegal if they sell them in a hardware store.

"Hey Soft, can I get her one of these?"

"That's a grey area. You can have one for legit purposes like work or hobbies, fishing and camping. You can have it on you when you're doing those things or on the way to do them. But you can't take them to the pub for a beer after work."

I wracked my brains to think of a legitimate reason for Vix, and I came up with nothing. I took one anyway. Maybe I'll hang onto it. I picked up a basic tool kit, as well.

On the way home, I thought about what I could do for Vix. I'm not stupid enough to believe I can always come up with a reason to be with her. She will be alone at some point. I can't lock her in the house as much as I'd like to.

While Softy munched on his sausage sandwich, I looked out the window and noticed a Jiu-Jitsu training centre. It was like in those cartoons, and a lightbulb appears when the character gets an idea. I smiled. I was just going to have to teach my little Vixen to defend herself.


	17. Victoria

As I walked down the hall, my hair was grabbed, and my head yanked back. I reached behind my head, grabbed the arm with both hands. I moved my body to the side, bent at the waist and walked backwards until I was behind my attacker. I held his arm tight and lifted it until he leaned over and let go of my hair. Then I twisted his arm until it turned at the elbow, and I forced it up to his back until...

"Red," Sy said, and I let go of his arm. He rolled his shoulder in his socket. "You're getting better at that one, Vix. I think I'll make a tiger out of my Kitten yet."

I warmed inside at his compliment. A couple of weeks ago, Sy started to play a game with me. I rolled my eyes and thought it was stupid initially, but it had actually been fun. The first week he said he would teach me some self-defence moves he had learned in the army. We practised them all last week. This week he had laid surprise attacks on me to see if I could use them in real-life situations.

As I said, it sounded stupid, but it was surprisingly fun. I knew I had no hope of actually beating him, but the competitive part of me wanted to try. I wanted to see the look on his face if I did, then have him manhandle me back under his control.

Sy taught me other self-defence techniques. The first thing was if they can't get you, they can't hurt you. He showed me how surprisingly far away, you need to be from someone to make sure they can't reach out and grab you.

He complimented me on the thumbs in the eyes I used against Macca and said to use it again if I need to. Sy said, if you can get an elbow or fist to the nose and hit it hard enough, the attacker will probably let you go for a moment as a reaction to the pain.

I mean, don't get me wrong, the whole thing felt silly and almost pointless. I'm not a very petite girl, I'm average size and height, but I couldn't see myself actually using the techniques. Sy told me if all else fails, play along, let him think he has won and wait for an opportunity to strike. He said all I have to do is surprise him enough that he lets you go, then run as fast as you can. 

Sy had also started driving me to work and picking me up. I resisted at first, but then he said, "I have nothing else to do. Why don't you let me pick you up, lil Kitten? It'll make your Daddy very happy, and you know what happens when Daddy is happy." I relented, obviously.

I'm glad we moved in together. It wasn't much different to before, but in some ways, it was. It had lead to other fun games and routines.

On our first morning together in our new home, I had to go to work, and the 'Noah chooses the panties' rule was born. After my shower, I'd come out, and he chooses my underwear each day.

It started as a joke. I was just out of the shower, ready to get dressed, and he was laying in the bed watching me as I pulled out five different pairs of underwear, looked at them and put them back.

"What are you doing, Vix?" Sy asked.

"I don't know. Some days I can't even decide which undies to wear, let alone what clothes." 

"They're panties, and no one's going to see them." He gave me his silly grin. "Except me."

I sighed, agitated, "why don't you pick them then?"

I had been joking, but Noah had gotten up, his grin was gone, and he just looked horny. He came up behind me, his breath warm on my neck and looked over my shoulder into my draw. He looked at a few then picked up a black lace French cut pair of briefs. He said in his deep, commanding, Daddy voice, "wear these, Kitten." 

It was such a turn on. All day I thought about watching him fling little bits of lace around until he found the one he liked. Then his voice in my ear telling me to wear them. It made me hot all day, knowing that he would be home thinking about it.

Sy liked it too. He had sent me a text during the day. I can't stop thinking about those black panties. I'm picking again tomorrow, Kitten. So he had, every day since.

When Sy picked me up from work that first day, I could tell he was up to something. He put his hand on my lower back as we left, hurrying me along. He used his long strides to get to his car, and I practically had to run to keep up.

When we got in the car, he said, "open your legs Victoria and keep them open." He pulled my skirt up to my thighs and played with the rear vision mirror until he could see up my skirt as he drove me home.

By the time we got home, I was soaked through the underwear. Noah didn't wait until we got to our bedroom either. He instantly took me to the ground and fucked me on the entryway floor. He was primal, masculine and dominant, and I loved every second of it.

I also found that what underwear he picked for me often dictated how I felt in some strange way. When he chose cutesy, frilly lingerie, I felt playful and kittenish. If it was something white or more modest, I felt coy or coquettish. If he picked something dark, I'd feel seductive and sensual. If it was racy, like a few days ago when he found my crotchless underwear, I felt like an insatiable whore all day. 

Today Sy had picked a pink g-string, or thong, as he called it. These were a nice mix between playful and racy. I found the matching bra and put that on with a black pencil skirt and pink cardigan, the buttons half done up, so it was only just covering my breasts.

I finished my make up and pinning my hair. "I'm ready, Noah," I called, standing at the door ready for him. He came out of the kitchen with his predatory smile, creasing his cheeks.

"God damn, you're a sexy thing, ain't you. Turn around." He said as he grabbed his keys and stood at the door. I turned around in a circle. I knew what was next. It had become our unofficial 'leaving the house for work' ritual. 

"Show me, Kitten," Sy said. I lifted my skirt and showed him that I was wearing what he had picked for me. "Good girl," he said. "Give me some sugar." I kissed him softly on the lips. "Let's go."

I had settled into my new job pretty well. I was doing walk-ins mainly as it would take time to build a client base again. Repeat clients tended to be either be shop loyal or artist loyal. Most of the artist loyal ones followed me on social media, so I got regular jobs but not completely filled days as I had been.

The shop opened at 10 am, so I usually got to work around 9 am to prepare for the day. I checked my supplies and made sure my equipment had been sterilised. I checked my jobs for the day. I had an all-day booking, which was unusual, most people can't sit all day. He had also prepaid for the whole day. That was weird. Most people were asked to put a deposit, usually just $100 or so, but he had paid nearly $2000.

I shrugged. I've had far crazier jobs in my career. I grabbed a coffee, had a cigarette in the outdoor courtyard and waited.

Just before ten, I went back inside. Ally, the desk girl, called me over.

"Are they here already?" I asked her. "Shit, they're keen."

She points to the waiting room, and there was Robbo. Oh, Fuck.

"Hey Vix," he said. "Long time no see." He stood up and walked towards the counter that divided the work stations from the waiting area. 

I was in shock, my hands shaking with fear and rage. Rob opened the half-door, and I snapped out of it. I pushed it back and locked it. I said, "what do you think you are doing, Rob?"

"Getting a few tattoos, Vix." He smiled at me. I used to think his smile was charming. Now it looked hideous and turned my stomach. I couldn't look at him.

"Ally," I said. "Give this guy his money back. I'm not working on him."

"Come on, Vix," Rob pleaded. He still made it sound like I'd be doing him a favour. "You know, we've always talked about tattooing me. Why would I go to anyone else to get it done? I've known you forever."

A few of the other artists looked at me to see what was going on. My boss had also come out. I did not want to explain this shit to them. I sighed and opened the latch and let him in.

The first tattoo wasn't so bad. It was a neo-traditional rose on his pec. I supposed Rob thought he was clever, knowing I'd have to see him with his shirt off. But after being with Sy, Rob looked so small and unappealing. Rob was a little taller than Sy but probably weighed 25kgs less. His body was lean and muscular but did absolutely nothing for me anymore. When I shaved the area I had to tattoo, it almost wasn't worth the effort. Rob had the complete opposite of Sy's warm hairy chest.

I quickly got lost in work. The buzz of the machines soothed me. As the work's familiarity overtook me, I almost forgot who I was tattooing. I was relieved that I had stopped shaking. The last thing I wanted was to have Rob come back for constant touch-ups. I did have the urge to run the needles really deep and rip his skin up, but I refrained.

A few hours later, I was finished. Rob seemed satisfied and immediately asked, "Shall we do the next one?"

I shook my head, "Nope, now I go get lunch. We can meet back here in 30 minutes."

"I'll take you somewhere nice for lunch if you want, Vix. I'm paying for your time, but it doesn't have to be spent tattooing." Rob winked at me. I felt sick and had to swallow down the bile that rose in my throat.

I kept my voice low and tried to keep the fear out of it. "I'm not a fucking whore who gets paid whether you fuck her or not. The only thing you're paying for is a tattoo. My time is mine." I grabbed my bag and walked away, "see you in 30."

I went to the Vietnamese bakery to get my usual pork roll. I wasn't hungry, but I had to eat. I knew how badly my concentration failed if I didn't. I took my sandwich back to the shop, hid in the staff only tea room, and forced myself to eat.

I looked at my phone. I wanted Noah so badly. I wanted his arms around me, and I wanted to feel his warmth and his love, to feel like everything was going to be ok because he was there. I couldn't call him, though. He would know something was wrong the instant he heard my voice. So I forced down half of the sandwich, had a couple of cigarettes and went back to Rob.

"Did you eat?" I asked him. Sometimes when people get tattooed, they faint, so when it's a big day like this, I always make sure they eat.

Rob was playing on his phone. "Yeah, I got a roll from a bakery a few doors down. A pork roll."

I looked at him and tried to read his expression. Was it a coincidence, or did he follow me there? Sy will be disappointed that I wasn't more aware of my surroundings.

I ignored it, figuring any response to Rob beyond the bare minimum would be seen as an invitation to chat. "Alright, what's next?" I asked.

"I still can't believe you don't remember talking about this before."

"Sorry I don't."

Rob pulled out of his pocket a ziplock bag with a folded piece of paper inside. "This is my next tattoo."

He flipped it over, and on the page, someone had kissed the page, and there was a bright red lipstick kiss. "I was going to get this on my lower stomach or my neck." It wasn't an unusual tattoo, but it creeped me out for some reason.

"Do you recognise it, Vix?" Rob asked. He is suddenly very close to me.

My veins turned to ice. No, they aren't my lips. Surely not. I shook my head.

"You should baby, they're yours," Rob cooed in my ear. I could feel my lunch rising.

I shook my head, "I don't remember Rob. Look, Rob, I'm tired. I'm done for the day, ok?"

Rob moved like a snake. His hand gripped my cheeks, his finger digging deep into my skin. He backed us both around a corner into the staff only area, so the rest of the shop couldn't see us. He forced me to look at him. "I waited years for you, Vix, fucking years." His face was close to mine, his breath hot and gross. "Then you pretend you don't know what happened between us. You think you can fucking tease me for years, let me in once, then shut up shop. Nah, Vix, not me."

I tried to remember what Sy taught me, how to get out of this, but nothing came to mind. Then I remembered, all I have to do is get him to let me go. Sy's voice was in my ear, "If you can't get away, sometimes it's a good idea to let them think they have won. Stop fightin' but watch and wait for your chance."

"Rob, I'm sorry," I said, trying to make my voice soft and seductive. "I didn't know you felt that way." I covered his hand on my face with mine, and I caressed his fingers.

Rob released some of the pressure in his fingers, but I still couldn't get away. One of his fingers was in front of my lips. It turned my stomach, but I pressed my lips against it in what I hoped looked like a kiss. Rob's eyes closed, and his hand was nearly slack. With my heart thundering in my chest, I smacked Rob's wrist away with the palm of my hand and ran back into the shop.

"Hey, Vix, you ok?" One of the other artists asked as I went and stood near him. I felt the adrenaline pumping through me, and I started shaking again.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Javier," I said. Rob came round the corner. He was livid. "Rob was just leaving, weren't you, Rob?"

He put a huge fake smile on his face and said, "yeah, I was just saying 'see you soon' to Vix."

"See Ally on the way out. You're owed half of the fee," I said. If the shop didn't take half of what was charged, I would have given all his money back. I didn't want it.

"Keep it, babe," he said. He leaned in close so only I could hear and said, "after all, you are a whore."

I made sure he had left and texted Sy to pick me up.


	18. Syverson

I knew something was wrong when Vix texted me to pick her up. I thought she was feeling sick. I knew something was real wrong as soon as I laid my eyes on her. She outwardly didn't look much different except for the slightly swollen red-rimmed eyes. She had been crying. I wanted to run to her, scoop her up and make it all better. But this was where she worked. I waited until she met me in the waiting area.

"Hey, Sweet Pea," I said to Vix and pulled her into a hug. She gripped my shirt with little fists and gave a short sob into my chest. I whispered to her, "it's alright, Kitten, it's alright. I'm here."

She breathed a few times deeply into my chest and looked up at me. "I'm ok. I'm just really glad to see you."

"Let's get you home, lil girl. We can talk about it there, ok?" Vix nodded. I gave her a little kiss on the nose.

On the drive home, Vix was real quiet. She looked out the window mostly. Sometimes she just laid her head back and closed her eyes. I wanted her to tell me what happened. I didn't know if she was sick or if it was something worse. The suspense was killing me. I drove faster than I usually would want to get her home to find out what happened.

When we got home, it was like a switch was flipped. Vix looked over at me and smiled her naughty smile. "Race you inside," she said and jumped out of the car, her little purse bouncing against her hip as she tried to run in that tight skirt of hers.

"Fuck." I ran after Vix. I reached her before she reached the door. I scooped her up in one arm and made the last few steps to the door. She giggled as I put her down, and she opened the door for us.

Vix stood in the entryway, facing me as I kicked the door closed. "I've missed you, Daddy," she purred as she started to undo the buttons of her cardigan.

I shook my head. She's giving me whiplash. One minute she's been crying, needing me to pick her up early, crying into my chest and quiet as a church mouse. Next minute she's playful, stripping, begging to be fucked. God damn, she looked good. I knew I should stop her and find out what happened first. Then her cardigan fell to the floor.

My thoughts flashed back to the first time I had been intimate with Vix. She had done the same thing then, hadn't she? Been upset about something and wanted sex. I couldn't give in this time, no matter how badly I wanted to. Not with all the shit going on with Rob. What if he had done something to her? Her skirt was falling to the floor, and she stood in that pink thong I had picked her, a matching bra and pink strappy heels. I could see her cherry tattoo. Fuck, it was hard to think when she looked like that.

Vix turned and bent at the hips to undo her pink heels. Her pretty round ass was in the air, and I could see the tiny strip of pink fabric that hid her sweet centre peek out between her legs above those pink bow tattoos on the back of her thighs. Like it always does, my cock screamed at me to take her, own her, dominate her, fuck her. I should stop her. I had to have her.

I closed the distance between us, pushing my hips into her, letting her feel my hard cock against her ass. Vix wriggled and pushed her ass against me as she stood up. She draped her arms behind her head to guide my head to her neck. I let her and kissed her neck. My tongue licked at her, tasting her. She let out a soft giggle as my beard ticked her. I brought my hand around to her throat and put the other on her hip.

"Why are you teasing your Daddy, lil girl?" I whispered in her ear. I felt her slacken into me, releasing her control, submitting to me. Fuck, she made me so hard when she did that. "Does my kitten want to be fucked?" I walked two fingers from her waist down her stomach, and she moaned as I kept walking them down over mound and cupping her sex.

Vix was nodding, "Please, Daddy," she said. I should say no. I pushed a finger against her panties and up into her sex, right where her entrance was. I teased her hole over the fabric. I felt the cloth dampen all the way through until my fingertip felt wet.

Using every bit of self-control I could muster, I let Vix go and stepped away.

"What the fuck, Sy?" Vix turned around, furious. She was practically panting with fury and desire. Her tits heaved against her bra, threatening to spill out with every breath.

"You have to tell me what's wrong before we do that, Vix," I said.

"I don't want to."

I sighed, "normally, I'd respect that, and you know it. But this time, I need to know. We've talked about this. There's some things I need to know."

"No, you don't. You can't force me to tell you shit." She crossed her arms, and her tits pushed together.

"Can't I?" I said, trying not to look at her tits. She was so fucking hot.

"What are you going to do, Daddy?" She asked, her words laced with defiance and sarcasm. "Are you going to spank me?"

"Don't tempt me, Kitten. You know, I will." I crossed my arms over my chest. "And it won't end the way it did last time."

"Yes, it will. You know you it will." She came closer to me, accentuating her hips movements with every step. "You can't resist me." She was close enough to touch me, and she undid my belt buckle. She lifted her head and kissed me with her soft lips. I didn't move.

She started getting frustrated. Her bottom lip stuck out, and I had to look away. She was right. I can't resist her. "Come on, Sy, what are you doing?"

"I'm serious, Kitten. I ain't goin' to play with you until you tell me what happened."

"If I tell you, you won't want to play with me. You'll be mad at me."

"Victoria, I always want to play with you." It wasn't a lie. I was barely hanging onto my self-control.

"You don't want to now."

"I want to. I just ain't gonna."

I could see the cogs turning in her head. She was going back and forth, debating each choice. Her chin trembled slightly, but she stood tall and proud. God, she was strong, but she didn't have to be all the time. "Trust me, Kitten. Tell me what's wrong."

Suddenly her breath hitched. "I'm scared," she said, letting out a small cry.

I went to her and held her close. She cried again, pushing her face into my chest. I smoothed her hair down. "I'm here, Sweet Pea," I soothed. "Tell me what's wrong."

I walked her over to the sofa, wrapped the soft blanket we kept there around her shoulders and took her on my lap. Vix sat still and quiet for so long I thought she had fallen asleep. I was about to ask if she was awake when I felt her take a deep breath and start to speak.

"Rob came into my work today." I inhaled sharply through my teeth and made a hissing noise. "See, I told you you'd be mad."

I was beyond mad. I was livid. I felt my body get hot, my blood pumped loudly in my ears, my muscles tensed with the rush of adrenaline. Fuck. As calmly as I could, I lifted Vix's chin to mine. "Not mad at you, lil girl. Not you."

Vix kept talking, telling me what had happened. I listened and rubbed her back as she told me. "I didn't know what to do, Sy."

I was in turmoil inside. Rage flowed through my veins just below my surface, threatening to overtake me. My thoughts were at war. My savage need for revenge and my primal urge to protect her fought against her needing me here and now, calm, present and reassuring. I didn't know which would win.

My teeth ground in frustration. Vix was looking at me now, her hazel eyes were bright with fresh tears, and I knew which part of me had won. The part that she needed most would always win. Revenge can wait, she would have me first.

"You did good, sugar. It's alright," I said. My voice was gravely and raw. I wiped her tears with my thumb.

Vix put her arms around my neck, she needed my love right now, and I gave it to her. I kissed her cheeks with soft lips, barely grazing her skin. I kissed her lips then, gently licking at them. She parted her lips for me, and her tongue met mine as I entered. She massaged it with hers hesitantly, almost unsure.

I moved my face away and looked at her, my beautiful sexy girl. I looked at her every feature, memorising every inch of her face, every little freckle on her nose as if seeing her for the first time.

"I love you, Victoria." I told her firmly, "don't try and keep secrets like that from me again, ok? I won't let anything happen to you."

"I don't want you to get hurt or in trouble because of something I did."

"Vix, you kissed a guy and then said you didn't want any more than that. Everything he did after that was his choice. He didn't have to be there today. He didn't have to follow you and sit outside your house for weeks. That was his..."

"What did you say?" Vix sat bolt upright. She removed her arms from my neck.

Oh shit. "Vix..."

"He's been stalking me?" Her voice raised an octave.

"Vix listen..."

"And you didn't tell me? Fucking hell Sy, I never would have let him in the shop if I had known that. How long have you known? Oh my god! Is that why you've been teaching me self defence?" She got off my lap and stood across the room.

"Look, Softy and I..." I stood up, raising my hands in a calm down motion.

"Softy knew too? How dare you? How dare you both? How could you keep this from me?"

"We thought..."

"You know you made it worse if you had told me..."

"God damn it, woman! Sit down and listen to me!" I shouted at her in a voice that made all my subordinates cringe when directed at them.

For a moment, I thought she would sit, her breath stilled a moment, and she licked her lips. Then she stiffened and stood tall. "I will not, and you will sleep on the lounge tonight."

Vix tried to storm off to our room. But I blocked her way. "I will not be thrown out of my bed Victoria." Vix suddenly blushed, her legs clamped shut. I smiled and softened my voice. "You don't want that either, do you kitten?" Vix closed her eyes, and I moved towards her quietly. When she opened her eyes, they shined.

"I don't want you in my bed tonight." She said with much less conviction. "You lied to me, Noah. You should have told me."

I nodded, "maybe. But you still want me don't you kitten." I reached out and pulled her to me by the nape.

"You're an arsehole."

"Come on, Kitten, I know you want me. You want me to make it all better, don't you?" My lips hovered near hers, close enough to kiss her. I put my hand on her neck, and my thumb caressed her throat.

She nodded slowly but said, "no, I don't."

I pushed my hard dick into her body, and she gasped as she felt it. "Oh, but you do. You should see yourself, Kitten, your eyes hooded, your mouth open, your breath is quick. I'll bet if I were to touch your pussy right now, you'd be wet. Wouldn't you?"

She tried to look away, almost ashamed, but I held her firm. "No."

"No?" I reached between her legs, pushing my palm hard against her spot. Her eyes widened. I moved my hand slowly, and her eyes fluttered a moment. I wanted to take her then, but I needed her to say it. 

I kissed her and felt her body yield to me. Her hips rocked, and she moaned into my mouth. "You're such a good girl, ain't you Victoria," I asked. She nodded. "You won't keep things like that from me again, will you?" She shook her head. "Do you want me to take you to bed, Kitten?" She nodded again, "I need to hear it. Say 'Daddy take me to bed, please'."


	19. Victoria

I swallowed hard. I didn't think I could speak, but I wanted Sy so badly. "Daddy, take me to bed, please," I whispered. I felt a thrill rush through me as I said it.

I was still mad at him, so angry that he kept what Rob was doing from me. At that moment, I didn't care. I needed to feel him inside me. I wanted to give myself to him because all I wanted was to know that he still loved me. I wanted to submit everything to him, but I couldn't. I wasn't wired like that. I needed autonomy, and I needed choices. I'm not going to be his slave. I knew we needed to talk about this, but later. Right now, I wanted him to take away the pain I felt.

I wanted to feel safe in his arms. I wanted to be loved. I wanted it to hurt, to be rough and all-consuming. I wanted my man to fuck me and hold me and kiss me. I wanted to be his every desire, and he be mine in turn. I needed that primal beast I knew he had in him, and I needed the beast to wreck me.

Sy took me to the bedroom, unhooking my bra as he went. He pushed me onto the bed with frantic movements and pulled my underwear off. He made a noise deep in his throat as he forced my legs apart and dove between my legs. He wasn't gentle, his beard tickled my thighs, and he bit and sucked on the tendon on my upper thigh. It felt so good, and I was so high the pain it felt like pleasure. Soon it was too much though, I kept getting higher and closer to my peak but felt no relief. "Please, please," I begged him. I knew better than to try to move him where I needed him. All I could do was beg him, tell him how desperate I was.

As if he were waiting to hear me beg, he gave me his tongue, hard and flat against my clit. He sucked on me and let his tongue roll over me. I was nearly there. He reached up and played with my piercings, and it felt like lightning as ecstasy rocked me from my nipples to my clit, and my orgasm overtook me.

He didn't slow down. My orgasm was the sign that he owned me. He flipped me onto my stomach, lifting me to my knees. Quickly he impaled me, vicious and raw. He drove into me without mercy, and his fingers dug into my sides, pulling me back to meet his thrusting hips. Sy grunting with effort and the sound of our bodies slapping against each other were the only noises I can hear.

I could feel myself getting close again. Noah pushed my head down into the sheets. He gripped my arms and used them as leverage to fuck me harder. I felt myself build again, and soon I was crying out as I came again, my walls milking around his unforgiving sex.

He rolled me over onto my back and lifted my legs onto his shoulders. He entered me again, fucking me, grunting, his face almost a snarl. He fucked me like an animal, pounding me. Sore and exhausted, I looked at him spent, I couldn't go on.

"One more Victoria, give me one more Kitten."

I didn't think I had anything left. I shook my head, my eyes closing. Then his thumb was on my clit, coaxing me, driving me to the edge. Slowly I felt the pressure build, and I had one more in me.

He saw the moment I felt it, and he grinned, "yes, Kitten, come on, just one more." And I did. I shattered over him again, he pumped me through it, and I called out as I came. I felt him thicken in my sore and tender core. He let himself go with a loud and deep roar that seemed to go on for an age. Then he shuddered and collapsed next to me, drawing me into him, holding me tight.

I was exhausted mentally and physically. Sy seemed to be still keyed up. "You alright, Vix?"

"Hmmm," I murmured, "I'm just tired."

"Want to have a shower with me?"

I nodded. Noah kissed me swiftly and got up. I could hear him start the shower, but I closed my eyes. I wanted to sleep. I didn't want to move. I felt like if I moved, reality would hit me again, and the pain I felt would come back.

When I didn't follow, Sy came back. "Come on, Vix," he said. I shook my head. "You're wasting the water."

"Carry me," I said, lifting my arms. "You wrecked me. Now you deal with me."

Sy smiled, "Alright, lil girl."

He took me to the shower, plopped me in it, and got in. He washed me tenderly, lightly using my sponge over my skin. As he rinsed me off, he kissed me on my lips and neck. His kisses were gentle and without a demand. He washed my hair, massaging my scalp, combing my hair. He had a look of concentration as he did. He caught me looking and gave me his silly smile. I felt my heart leap about my chest. I loved him so much.

When Noah was done, I washed him. I washed him with more force than he had me so that he could feel it deep within his skin. I watched as his sex thickened as I washed him. I was smiling to myself. I reached up high to wash his short hair. He laughed as he saw me struggle. He lifted me, wrapping my legs around him so that I could reach. I washed his face with a cloth. He held me to him, resting his face between my breasts. I thought he was going to fuck me again, but he seemed satisfied just holding me. I hugged him, and we enjoyed the hot water warming our bodies.

When we got out, Sy put my robe on me before wrapping a towel around his waist. He looked at his beard in the mirror. "I need a trim."

I watched, fascinated as he took out everything. I had no idea how much stuff he had to use. Sy pulled out a trimmer, clippers, a razor, shaving cream and a brush.

"Can I do it?" I asked. The shower had woken me up, and I was suddenly excited by the idea.

He looked hard at me, thinking it over. "You swear you won't 'accidentally' slip and take half my beard off?"

I giggled, "no, I swear."

"I'll punish you if you do," Sy said with a smile.

"Promise?" I asked cheekily.

"You won't like it. I can assure you, sugar."

"I promise I'll be good." I crossed my heart. "I'm the one who wants you to keep the beard."

He sighed, "I better not regret this."

"Yay!" I said, clapping my hands, not tired anymore.

Sy sat on the closed toilet, and I sat on top, facing him, my legs dangling on either side. "Hmm, maybe this was a good idea." He said, rolling my hips against him.

"Shhh, I have to concentrate," I said, enjoying the moment. It wasn't often that Sy gave up control like this.

He growled at me but was still smiling. "First, take the trimmer and go from just past my jawline near my ear to my Adam apple." He traced a line with his finger.

"Ok," I said. God, this was turning me on. I loved when Sy gave in to me sometimes. You could tell he was uncomfortable and only did it to make me happy.

I think this was his apology for not telling me about Rob. But I didn't want to think about Rob now. I tried to make the world go away. I wanted nothing except Sy. Gingerly, I followed Sy's instructions and made the line he said and then did it again on the other side.

"Good Vix," he said, looking past me and into the bathroom mirror. He was getting more comfortable now. "Use the trimmer to shave all the hair below that line on my neck."

It was so erotic, feeling his skin, lifting his chin this way and that way. Noah watched my every movement. He showed me how to use the trimmer on his top lip and cheeks. He got his razor and shaving cream and said to shave over his cheeks and neck again. This was more difficult, and I didn't want to knick him as I went. I often shaved people at work, but it never felt like this. My body felt on fire. My core cried out to be filled again.

"God damn, you're beautiful, Victoria." He said suddenly. I felt my sex pulse with his words. I blushed, feeling almost shy a moment. I'm not shy, but the way he said it warmed me to my gut.

Sy put his hands on my thighs under my robe, his thumbs caressing me. He felt it as well, feeling the need to be together again.

"Get the other clippers, the one with the attachment." He said. His voice was gravelly and deep. He was as turned on as I was. He showed me what setting to put it on, and I slowly trimmed the rest of his beard until it was tidy. I got the towel and wiped off any remaining shaving cream and then brushed his beard off with the soft brush. 

His beard was shorter than I had ever seen it, and I was surprised how much it had hidden. For the first time, I could see his jawline and could see just how handsome he was. His blue eyes shined, and when he smiled at me, I could see dimples in his cheeks.

"Am I finished?" I asked breathless, hungry for him again.

Sy nodded, then crushed his lips against mine. He picked me up and carried me back to the bedroom. He sat on the bed and opened my robe, his hands gentle and caressing. He looked at me as he did, feeling every part of me. He kissed my nipples gently and made his way up to my neck.

I let my fingertips feel his warm furry chest, feeling how his hair curled around my fingers as I moved. I felt his abs, watching as my fingers rolled over his emerging muscles. He looked good like this. I didn't want him to go much more than this. Something about it felt comforting. I didn't want him ripped. I liked him as he was.

I moved my fingers lower, moved his towel away and found his sex. He groaned as I touched it, and I let my fingers feel its rigidity and moved my hand over his velvety skin.

"Please, Victoria," Sy whispered in my ear. "I want to be inside you."

I slowly moved the tip of his sex up and down my slit, wetting it, getting it ready for me. He squeezed me tight, "Fuck," he swore, sucking on my neck, once again leaving me with the evidence he was there.

I lifted myself on my knees and positioned him at my entrance. I lowered myself on to him, unhurried until he filled me. He growled in my ear as I went, "Fuck, Victoria, you feel so good."

I rode him slowly, taking my time. He put his hands on my hips but didn't move yet, and he let me take what I needed, let me set the pace. Then, when he caught my rhythm, he held me by the back of my neck, and he started to move in time with me. He moved his hand over my throat. I felt myself begin to rise to my peak, and he watched me as I came.

"You are so beautiful when you cum." He held me tight and rolled me onto my back. And thrust into me slowly but deep. I wrapped my arms and legs around him and held him close. "I'm sorry, I did what I thought was best." He said.

"I know. I love you," I whispered.

He kissed me again, hard and all-consuming. "I love you, Victoria." He went harder, kissing me, sucking and nipping at my lips until his orgasm came. It wasn't the roar like before. It was different softer, but his face never left mine as his body contracted, and I felt the pulsing of his sex as he released into me.

We laid in bed together, bodies entwined, still kissing and touching, not wanting the moment to end.

Eventually, Sy said. "Vix, you know you have to report what happened."

"I don't want to. I didn't even tell the people at work what happened." 

Sy persisted. "I think you need to. They need to know he isn't welcome around you."

"I'm worried about how they will react." I could just see them thinking I'm too much trouble to keep around. It's such a male-dominated industry that maintaining a clean reputation as a woman is important. Yet another reason why I shouldn't have gotten involved with Macca in the first place and avoided this series of events.

"Look, I can come with you, hold your hand." Sy lifted my hand to his lips, giving me a little kiss. "But sweet pea, you have to tell people. You were right, I should have told you, and then you could have avoided being in a position like you were. I thought I was protecting you, but I was wrong."

"It's embarrassing."

"No, no, it ain't," Sy insisted. "And fuck them, if they aren't willing to stand behind you on this, get another job. You found this job easily. You're talented, you have a recognisable name, you have a lot of clients loyal to you. You'll be fine."

I shrugged. He was right, but I hated the idea.

Sy lifted my chin and met my eyes. "How about this? You and I will make a police report this afternoon. Then tomorrow, we can talk to your boss. Then I'll take you away for a few days. Anywhere you want to go, and we will do anything you want to do."

"Really, Sy?" He nodded.

"I think its time we do something other than going to dinner or the movies. Let's go on an adventure."

I grinned, "I know exactly what I want to do. Let's go camping."

Sy bellowed with laughter. "You? Camping?"

"What's so funny?" I asked, indignant.

"You can't wear heels camping, Darlin'," Sy said, still laughing.

"Oh, shit really? Jeez, I'm glad you told me that."

"I'm sorry, Kitten," Sy said, trying to control his laughter. "I just never figured you for an outdoors type." 

"Well, be prepared to be amazed!" I said, going to my wardrobe and pulling out a shoebox. "I even have hiking boots."

"Ok, Darlin'," Sy said, still smirking. "I'll take you camping."


	20. Syverson

Until Vix and I got to the campground, I still thought she meant 'glamping' instead of camping. I was surprised when she was so thorough in planning. She had done it plenty of times before and enjoyed it.

I had thought the planning was a way to take her mind off Rob and what had happened. We had gone that night with Softy to the police station, and Vix had given her statement. She didn't want me with her when she did it, so I waited in the truck for her. I didn't know if I felt proud of her or felt left out. Yeah, there was a selfish part of me that wanted her to need me, but I was proud of her in the end.

The next day we visited her work. Vix wanted me to go with her, but she wanted to speak to her boss alone. Her boss, Tom, took it seriously and checked the CCT footage and found the incident. Vix called Softy, and they organised to get some officers to drop by and collect it to add to the application for a restraining order.

With that all done, Vix threw herself into organising our trip. I felt guilty cause I said I would take her away, so I had planned on organising it myself. She insisted, saying she had done it a million times with her friends and knew where she wanted to go. She booked a site, pulled out her camping equipment and borrowed from Jess and Softy equipment for me like a double sleeping bag and a camping chair.

She had everything piled up by the front door, ready to be packed first thing in the morning. The only thing left after that was to buy food and water for the next two nights.

It was funny when I saw Vix in her camping clothes. I mean, I suppose it was appropriate. She was wearing those high waisted shorts with an Elvis t-shirt tied up at the front. Her hair was in those two braids she wore to bed, hiking books, and a parka jacket. At least she wasn't wearing make-up, or I wouldn't have been able to stop laughing.

"What are you laughing at?" Vix asked, almost looking hurt.

"Nothing, Vix," I said, trying real hard not to laugh. "You're just cute as a button."

"Uh, huh. You think I won't be able to handle it, don't you." I didn't say anything because I knew I'd laugh. "You'll see," she said, flicking a braid over her shoulder and storming off, her cute ass shaking as she walked. I couldn't hold back, and I laughed out loud. She stuck her tongue out at me, and if we didn't have a long drive ahead, I would have thrown her over my shoulder and taken her back to bed. She looked so adorable.

The campground had no electric sites, and although it had showers, they were cold bore water, and the toilets were glorified holes in the ground. I was surprised. It really was camping. I mean not full wilderness, but it wasn't luxury by any stretch of the imagination. It was tranquil and not too busy. Only a few families were there and a couple of older retirees. There was a lot of wildlife around also. I saw my first wallabies, and Vix said we would see some wombats at night if we were lucky.

When we got to the campgrounds, she jumped out excited and started setting up the tent. She knew what to do, and we were able to get it up quicker than I had thought. She used the truck to pump up an air mattress while I set up a tarp outside the tent. Then we set up the chairs and tables, and I started preparing the fire pit while Vix made us some sandwiches for a late lunch.

"How's the serenity?" Vix said as she munched on her sandwich. Her eyes twinkled in amusement.

I raised an eyebrow at her, "it's good, nice little river. But what's so funny."

"Nothing, remind me to make you watch The Castle, one of these days."

"Another black and white movie? No, thanks anyway." I said, grinning.

"No, this one is only about 20 years old. You may like it."

We ate quietly after that. I had the feeling Vix wanted to say something. I did too, but I wasn't sure how to bring it up.

Vix, once again proving to me she is braver than I give her credit for, said, "Sy, I think we need to talk about our relationship."

"Well, I hope you ain't plannin' on breaking up with me cause it'll be an awkward couple of days." I joked. She half-smiled at me, but her face remained serious. I felt like a dick. "Ok," I said, sitting back in my chair with a beer. "A serious talk. I get it. Go ahead."

"I feel like we jumped into moving in together faster than I probably would have liked. I mean, we were still getting to know each other, and I feel like we never really spoke about us." She shrugged and looked a bit unsure. "I guess, it's like, our relationship is so sexual, I sometimes wonder if there's anything more to it than that."

I was a bit taken back. "You think because I like fucking you that I don't actually like you? Like as a person?"

She shrugged again. I wasn't used to seeing her this unsure. "I don't know. I mean, I've never lived with a guy before. But even before that, we had a lot of sex. Like heaps, more than I've had in any relationship, and I sometimes wonder if that's all this is, is just amazing sex."

"Can't it be both?" I asked. "Why can't I like you and want to fuck you?"

"I worry that when I'm older, you won't find me attractive. You know, you think I'm cute and call me lil girl now. But what happens when I'm 35, 45 or older?"

I thought a while about what I wanted to say. I didn't want to say it wrong. "Can I tell you a story?" Vix nodded. "When I was growing up, there was only one stable relationship I saw with any regularity. It was my aunt and uncle. They married pretty young, and I remember seeing them together and thought it was gross when I was a kid. My uncle would still come up behind her while she was cookin' and kiss her neck and tell her how pretty and sexy she was, and she would blush and tell him to stop. I saw them again last year, and he's still smacking her ass as she walks by, and she's still giggling about it. They're in their 60s, been married for over 40 years."

"That is really sweet," Vix said.

I nodded and went on, "my marriage was breaking down, and I couldn't understand how they were still so in love. So I asked him. He said to me, Noah, she's still that cute little 17-year-old I first met at a party in my eyes. It didn't matter how much time had past, how they grew up together, how many kids they had had, how their bodies had changed. She was always that girl to him."

Vix had tears in her eyes, "God, I wish I had seen something like that when I was growing up."

"Like I said, as a kid, I thought it was gross, but now I envied him. He said he knew she wasn't the same girl, but she was always beautiful and growing more beautiful each year. He still thought the little things she did were cute, like how she still painted her nails the same colour because he offhandedly commented one day that he liked her nail polish. She always makes his salad separately because he doesn't like tomatoes. He loved that she gave him babies and how hard she had worked raising them. He said he loved her because she gave him everything, and he gave her everything. They were partners. Yeah, he took the lead in the traditional sense, but they still did it together."

"It sounds amazing."

"It sounds like love to me. I don't think I would have understood him ten years ago, but I do now. Part of what broke up my marriage was that physically I was attracted to her, but that's it. I think I married her because I was getting older and wanted to have a family. I realised we didn't like each other. But Vix, it ain't that with you. I like who you are. You surprise me, excite me, turn me on, challenge me. That's what I saw in you when I met you. You'll always fight me, but you don't fight me to be a bitch. You don't just listen to me and meekly do what I say either, and I'm not interested in that. Yeah, it'll be frustrating, but it keeps it interesting. And I think you want that too. I think if I were a pushover who let you win all the time, you'd get bored and move on."

Vix's eyebrows were drawn low over her eyes. She lit a cigarette, taking her time as if she were using the actions as a way to collect her thoughts. She slowly started nodding. "Yeah, if I'm honest with myself, it is what I've been looking for in a partner and never found."

"I wasn't planning on fallin' in love with you, and I had no intentions of it. The plan was to come here and sleep around and relax for a year before I go home and start trying to build a life. I could have fucked you the first night we met and walked away. But you intrigued me. Yeah, you were hot as fuck. But I remember watching you playing with that baby, and I swear I wondered what you would look like carrying our baby. I had never thought that about a girl I just met in my life. This ain't just about sex, Vix, not for me anyway. I find you irresistible, not only physically, but who you are inside. You're talented and eccentric and strong. Yeah, I want to take care of you, I want you to need me, but I think it's because you don't need me that I want you to so much. I don't think I knew it consciously, but I've known for a while now that I want to marry you one day, Vix. I want you to have my babies. I want to grow old and fat with you because you'll still be you. "

"You want to put babies in me?" She asked with a smirk.

"God Damn it, Vix, is that all you got..." she smiled, covering up a laugh. "You are a brat, ain't you?"

"And now I know you love it."

"As if you couldn't tell before." I almost didn't want to ask her. I was afraid I was wrong about her. "Well, I've laid it all out for you, Vix. Told you where I stand." I took a deep breath. "So what about you?"

Vix sighed, and I groaned inwardly. She was going to break my heart, wasn't she? I should have kept something back, not been so honest. "That's just it, Noah, I don't know. I still feel like I shouldn't have moved in with you. It was too soon. We've only been together for four months."

I couldn't look at her. Fuck. I wanted to leave, why'd she bring me here, if she was going to do this. She wasn't like that, was she? Maybe this was just sex to her, and I fell for it like a fucking idiot. I ground my teeth. Fuck, that hurt.

"Noah, please hear me out." I nodded, motioned for her to go on. "I'm confused because I want to be those things to you, a lover, a wife, the mother of your children. But I'm 27, and I still feel too young. I'm scared of growing up. I have been for a long time. The night of Pete's birthday, I had a real sense of foreboding like my youth was ending. Then you showed up. This insanely hot and worldly man, not a boy. You are what I want in a partner. I'm just terrified to go there."

"I ain't sayin' we are there yet," I said, feeling a little better. "I'm just sayin' I can see the possibility."

Vix took a long drink of her wine. "I'm not like Jess, Sy. All she's ever wanted was to get married and have babies. All I ever wanted was to get fucked up and tattoo. Even a year ago, I would have been high at that party, either on a pill or coke. I only stopped because Pete was a cop, and I knew it wouldn't be good for him if I got caught with drugs. I was wild. I've had a lot of boyfriends, most of them only lasting a few months." She sighed and threw her cigarette into the fire. "I think that's why I'm freaking out now. This is the point in a relationship where it would usually end for me. It's different with you. And that's why I'm scared, I think. I feel like this is my first adult relationship, as stupid as it sounds."

"It ain't stupid, Vix. Hell, some people go their whole lives without having an adult relationship."

"When you say you want to marry me, give me babies, it makes my heart flutter. I want it. I want it with you. But it's so scary."

The wind picked up, and it started to get cold. Vix shivered. I went to the car and pulled out a couple of blankets. I put one on the ground near the fire. I sat back and patted the space between my legs. "Come here, Sweet Pea," I said. "I think we both need a hug."

She sat between my legs, and I put the other blanket over us both. "What are you thinking, Vix?"

She was crying. "I'm thinking about how much I love you. How supportive you are, how much you want what's best for me. How you didn't judge me for admitting all that to you. How you didn't just leave when I said I didn't know how I felt. I think that you really do love me."

I kissed the top of her head. "I've been trying to tell you that for weeks, Kitten."

"You'll give me time, Noah. Time to grow up, be there with me while I do?"

"Victoria, until you tell me with full honesty that you don't love me, I ain't going anywhere."

We sat there for hours. We talked about a lot of things. Not all of it serious. When we finally went to bed, I held her, feeling closer to her and more in love with her than I ever had before.


	21. Victoria

When I woke up on the second day of our camping trip, I smelled bacon and eggs. I almost rolled over and went back to sleep, but Sy wasn't in bed. I laid there for a while and thought about yesterday. Sy rarely spoke that much from the heart. He would say little bits here and there, but he had never said that much before. Not to mention, we didn't have sex. I think it's the first time we had spent a day together and didn't. I eventually stretched and got up to go to the bathroom and start breakfast.

Sy had his back to me and squatted near the fire with a pan cooking breakfast. His arse looked good, and his shirt was pulled tight across his back, showing off his muscles. I crept up behind him as quietly as I could, and just as I was about to touch him, he said, "Mornin' Darlin'."

"Dammit," I said. I put my arms around Noah's neck and leaned into his back anyway, giving him a little nip on the ear. "Morning to you too."

He hummed, "You hungry?"

I kissed down his neck, licking as I went, "ravenous."

Sy turned, stood up, grinning and kissed me good morning. "I'll be a few more minutes. Why don't you have a seat, and I'll bring you breakfast?"

I went to the bathroom and sat in my chair just as he had finished making me a bacon and egg roll with BBQ sauce. "Hmmm, this is so good," I said with my mouth still full.

Sy smirked and leaned over to wipe some sauce from my lip and popped it in his mouth. My breath caught. Why was that so sexy? "What do you want to do today?" He asked.

I shook myself, trying to get my thoughts out of the gutter. "Want to fish?"

"What is there to catch?"

"Bass mostly, I think. They aren't good for eating. I normally catch and release."

"Sounds good, Sweet Pea."

We set up our gear, and Sy kept watching me as I checked my rod and tied the hook. His eyes went wide as I picked up the live bait worm and hooked it.

"You are full of surprises," Sy said.

"I told you I like this camping stuff."

"I humbly apologise." He leaned over, lifted my fringe and kissed me on the forehead before patting my hair back down.

"Let's hurry. It will be too bright soon, and we won't catch anything."

"What the fuck? Are you bullshittin' me? You even know when is the best time to catch the fish?" He kissed me again, on the lips this time. "God damn lil girl, you are perfect ."

I blushed and cast my line. I watched Sy, subtly adjusting himself out of the corner of my eye. Well, there's a new one. I never knew fishing could make a guy horny.

I was a little disappointed. I didn't catch anything. Sy caught one, but it was on the small size. I still made him stand there while he did the classic 'I just caught a fish' photo. He rolled his eyes but let me do it. 

We spent most of the time talking again. Sy even opened up a bit about his military career. He didn't tell me anything serious, but that was ok. I figured he'd be like Pete and never want to talk about anything serious, but it was nice to hear about some things.

We had lunch and then played cards. Here, I was totally out of my depth. Sy taught me Texas Hold'em. I sucked so bad at it, and I think he was frustrated at me a few times.

After dinner, Sy put a blanket down, and we sat like we had last night. "Did you have a good trip, Kitten?" He asked. His breath was warm against my neck, and his beard tickled my skin as he spoke.

"I did. I think it was good for us. We needed to talk." I held his hand and let my fingers trace along with his hard callouses to the soft skin of his palm. "I feel closer to you now."

Sy hummed in agreement. "Me too, Kitten. Let's do something like this again. Think of somewhere else you'd like to go, and let's just go. Somewhere just the two of us, no distractions."

I nodded and turned my head to kiss him. "Sounds good, Noah." We sat watching the fire crackle and snap. I knew we had more to talk about, set boundaries. Not to mention he's American. If we did get married, where would we even live? Would he want to move here? Would I want to live there? I'd never even been to the USA. I've travelled around parts of Asia and Europe, so it wasn't like I hadn't gone anywhere, but the US was unknown to me.

I must have fallen asleep because I woke up in Sy's arms as he carried me to the tent. When he put me down, he said, "Go back to sleep, Kitten," and I did.

*************************

When we got back in range of phone reception, my phone buzzed pretty quickly. I gasped when I read the message.

"What is it, Darlin'?" Sy asked.

"It's Pete, uh, they arrested Rob yesterday."

"That's good, ain't it?" Sy glanced at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, I guess so. It's just that he's already been released on bail pending court."

"When will that be?"

"It'll be months, maybe even a year. They applied for an AVO, and it was granted, so he's legally obliged to stay away from me, my house and work."

Sy leaned over and gave my knee a quick squeezed before putting his hand back on the wheel. "See Darlin'. It'll be better now."

"I guess." I couldn't shake the feeling that it was too good to be true.

*************************

A few days later, Noah and I were cuddling on the lounge. Noah watched Overhaulin' and I was on my iPad trying to pick our next mid-week getaway.

My phone kept buzzing, telling me I had a text message. The tone told me it wasn't from a saved contact, so I ignored it. But they kept coming. That's odd. Annoyed, I grabbed my phone to have a look.

Icy tendrils gripped my heart, threatening to crush it to pieces. There was picture after picture of Sy, and I curled up watching tv from an unknown number. My chest felt like someone was sitting on it. I couldn't breathe.

I was in my Harley Quinn Puddin' t-shirt, and Sy was in a faded black Lynyrd Skynyrd t-shirt. I checked what Sy and I were wearing and jumped up.

"Holy fucking shit." The photo was just taken.

I looked towards the window, disbelieving. I couldn't see anyone out there. It was so dark out there.

"You alright, Vix?" Sy asked. "You don't look so good."

Just then, another photo came in. This time I was sitting up and looking at my phone. My heart stopped. I looked at Sy and felt the blood drain from my face.

"He's here now," I whispered.

Sy looked over my shoulder saw the photo.

"Fucking prick!" He roared and ran to the door.

Fuck. "Siri, call Pete mobile," I said and ran after Sy. I couldn't let Sy out there. No fucking way. I ran to Sy, hoping against hope that I'd get to the door before him. I tucked my phone in my bra, hoping Pete would hear what was happening.

Sy was just getting the door open when I threw myself in front of him. I slammed the door closed.

"What the fuck Victoria?"

"I'm not letting you go out there." I turned the deadbolt, locking it down.

I looked at Sy, and for the first time ever, I saw Captain Syverson, United States Army, Special Forces. I saw a singular focus, a cold, a calculating look in his eyes. I saw fully for the first time what he was capable of, what he could do. It was horrific, and he wasn't even looking at me. I took an involuntary step away from him. He was a terrifying monster. I didn't even know who this person was.

I knew in my heart then that I had to do everything I could to stop him from going out there. This wasn't going to be like it had been with Macca. This was different. He would kill Rob, and then where would he be? In jail for 25 years. He'd be an old man by the time he got out. I'd lose him. He would hate me for putting me in the situation where he felt he had to do it. If he didn't hate me by some miracle, I would hate myself. I ruined him for what? For my own stupid actions. I wasn't going to let that happen. I wasn't going to let him go down for this.

"Victoria, get out of my way." My God, even voice was different.

He was still my Noah. Surely he wasn't so different. I took a deep breath, summoning all my courage and put my hand on his chest. "Noah, please."

"Vix, get away, God damn it." He looked at me, and I saw in his eyes the killer he could be. Then slowly, his eyes warmed slightly. "Go on, get." He sniffed. His voice was softer but still as hard as steel.

My resolve was strengthened. I could stop Noah. "No, no, I won't. I will not let you," I said forcefully.

Suddenly there was a metallic tapping on the window of the lounge room. As we both peered into the room, a voice rang out. "You should listen to what he says, Vix. Let him out, and I'll be with you in a minute." It was Rob. He was tapping a large blade against the window. Fuck.

Sy tried again to get to the door. I held his arm at the elbow, pulling at him with all my weight. I could hear Pete faintly saying he's on his way and he's called the cops. They shouldn't be long, he said. Stop Sy from going out there. They will be 5 mins.

"Rob's got a machete or something," I yelled, hoping Pete would hear.

Sy was trying to shake me off, "Vix, let me go. God damn it, don't make me hurt you."

"Stop, Sy, please," I begged.

Sy turned on me, his face twisted in a fury. The cold look was gone, and all that was left was his white-hot anger. "Why are you trying to protect him?" His voice was vicious and intimidating.

My eyes widened, shocked by his response, "I'm trying to protect you!" I yelled at him. "The cops will be here soon." I got in front of him and jumped up onto him, wrapping my legs around him tightly, hoping he won't go out there while I'm holding onto him. "Please, Noah. You do this, and we will be over. They'll either send you to jail or send you home, please, Sy. I can't lose you."

"Vix, get off me."

I kissed him, trying to force him to pay attention to me and not Rob. "Please, Noah, please, I'm begging you. I love you. You don't need to do this. Pete is coming. They'll be here soon."

"Get off me." He tried to lift me off. I hooked my ankles together around his waist and held him tight.

I kissed his neck, "Stop, Sy, please." I begged.

Then there was a crash. Rob's elbow was through the window. Glass shattered everywhere, falling to the ground around Sy's feet.

"Vix, let me go. I can stop him. I can protect you."

I heard the sirens in the distance, just a few more minutes. I can do this. "I know you can," I whispered in Noah's ear, trying to keep him back. "But at what cost, Sy? I know you can, and I know you will, and I love you for that. Please just wait, we only need a minute, and it will be ok."

Rob was screaming, trying to goad Sy into fighting.

I cupped Sy's face in my hands, forcing him to look at me. "Stay with me. If he comes in, fine, I'll let you go. But until then, I need you here with me. Just hold me, please."

The sirens kept getting closer. I prayed for the first time since I was a child, prayed to a God I didn't think I believed in. But at that moment, I had to believe, or I'd be lost.

I watched as a hundred emotions ran across Noah's face. He was angry, confused, stubborn, irritated, livid, sorry, sad, loving, then finally resigned. I felt his thick arms wrap around me like a blanket. He dropped his head into the crook of my neck. I held his head to me close, making soothing noises in his ear, trying to drown out the screams of Rob and the sirens. I said another prayer thanking God that I could get through to him.

We could see the flashing lights through the windows now. The sirens were off now, and we could hear the police trying to talk Rob into giving up his weapon. Rob was still screaming, the screams of a man who had lost all sense of reality. A mad man with nothing left to lose.

There was a short thunderous bang, so loud I covered my ears, screaming. I heard more glass shattering. Sy instantly dropped us to the floor so hard I think he knocked the wind out of me. He covered my body, three more bangs followed swiftly, and I finally realised they were gunshots. I gulped, trying to get my breath back slowly. My lungs filled with air again.

When it had been quiet for a while, Sy lifted his head. I saw his mouth moving, but everything sounded like it was underwater. I felt cold, but my heart felt like it was going to leap out of my chest. Sy's hands were all over my body, patting at me, then tapping at my cheek and neck. His hand came up red.

I was so tired and wanted to vomit. I thought of that night I was throwing up in the gutter, and Sy had to help me into the car. "Silly girl," he had said. "You shouldn't drink so much." My vision started to go dark like I was about to pass out. Sy had a strange look on his face. He was hurting my neck. My eyes closed.

***********************

I woke up to the sounds of machines, voices, hurried footsteps and Sy talking on the phone. "I gotta go, Irene. She's awake. Yeah, I'll tell her. Goodbye." He gingerly took my hand, almost as if he didn't want to touch me. I saw I had a cannular. I followed the plastic tube up and saw it was attached to a bag of clear fluid.

"Hey," I tried to say, throat was so dry I think all I managed to say was 'e'.

Sy smiled at me, but it seemed forced. Did I do something wrong? "You're ok, Vix. You went into shock."

I swallowed several times and croaked out, "Why?"

"A bit of glass nicked you in the neck when we went to the floor. Got wedged in deep, and you were bleeding pretty heavy." I reached up to feel my neck. Noah covered my hand and led it to the spot. There was a dressing on the side of my neck. "It ain't a big wound. They said it probably won't even scar, just nicked you real good, and you bled a lot."

I nodded. "Is he dead?" I asked.

Sy nodded. I felt tears well up in my eyes, and I didn't know if it was from relief or grief or both. Rob may have ended his life as a maniac, but we had been friends since high school.

Sy got up abruptly. His jaw was firmly set, and he barely looked at me. "I'll go get Jess. She's been wanting to see you."

I wanted to tell Noah to wait, but he looked like he wanted to go. I nodded. He met my eyes for a brief moment, and I couldn't read his expression. He opened his mouth and shut it again. His face hardened, and he left.

I really cried then. I knew Noah was going to hate me. No matter what I had done, it would have ended up the same. Even making me stop him from doing something stupid made him hate me. At least this way, he was still alive and not in prison.

Then Jess was there. "Oh, Vix, you ok?" I shook my head and cried into Jess's shoulder. "It's ok, Vicky, it's ok, shhh," she said over and over.

It wasn't going to be ok. I saw the look on his face when he left. It was over.


	22. Syverson

I felt empty as I left Vix to get Jess. I saw the look in her eyes. She didn't look at me the same way. Something was different. Was she scared of me? What was I supposed to do? Just let him come in after he terrorised Vix? I knew what I was doing. I could have gone out there, unarmed him and held him like I did Macca. She knew I could do it.

If I'm honest with myself, she was right. I was going out there to kill him. But God damn it, I put my life on the line for two decades. It's who I am. Why wouldn't I put my life on the line for her of all people? I'd face that asshole every day for the rest of my life for her. But I didn't. I stayed with her. In the end, she was right. I couldn't be with her if I were in prison. Is that why she looked at me differently? Because she had to stop me?

Softy and Jess were in the waiting area. They both stood up when they saw me. "Uh, she's awake, Jess, you can see her," I said.

Softy and Jess glanced at each other. Softy indicated that Jess should go. I wondered what that was about.

"Have a seat, mate. You look exhausted," Softy said. I nodded. I was tired, but more than that, I was heartbroken.

I sat staring at the floor, my elbows resting on my knees and my head in my hands. I kept replaying it in my head. How hard she fought me. How she had kissed me, held me, begged me not to go out there. I had ignored her until the end. I must have scared her. I was too violent for her. I couldn't just stand back. That wasn't me, and it could never be me. We had become so much closer recently, really talking to each other. Maybe it wasn't enough.

Was Vix angry at me because she got hurt? She didn't have to be mad at me. I was mad at myself. I reacted too slowly. I should have had her on the ground when the cops first arrived. I could have kept her safe then and not dropped her on the glass. It was my fault she got hurt. God damn it, why didn't I think? I just reacted. It was so fucking stupid of me. I don't know what I should have done. I knew there was zero chance Rob would have gone quietly. Anyone could hear he had lost it. Maybe I should have listened to her straight away, taken her into the bathroom, away from the door and windows. Fuck.

I knew what I was doing was useless. Things had gone wrong in the field for my teams and me, and yes, we debriefed, work out what went wrong and then move on. I knew replaying it in my head over and over wasn't helpful. I knew it, yet I couldn't stop seeing her under me, blood rapidly seeping out her neck and her lips starting to go blue. I couldn't stop reliving the panic I felt as I tried to compress the wound on her neck, desperate to stop the bleeding.

The floor started to get blurry. I must have been more tired than I thought. Blinking a few times, I saw with astonishment tears falling to the floor. Fuck. I'm not going to fucking cry in the middle of a God damn hospital. I wiped my eyes with my shirt and sniffed. I still have her blood on my shirt. Frustrated, I sat back and crossed my arms across my chest.

"You good mate?" Softy asked.

"Yeah." I sniffed again. Fuck this crying bullshit.

"You don't look it."

I shook my head and ran my hand down my face and into my beard. Was it just a week ago that she had trimmed it for me? God, she had looked so beautiful. The way she had put her finger under my chin to move my head the way she wanted, that cute look of concentration she had and the caress of her fingertips was something I'll never forget. I don't know why it felt so good, so intimate. She mightn't ever touch me like that again. Whatever was holding us together, whatever that magic was, last night, it had been severed.

"I think we're done, Softy. I don't think she'll forgive me. But what could I have done?" I shrugged. "It's over."

"Mate, you don't know that. Vix, she's tough, but she hasn't been through anything like what happened last night before. It's probably the first time she's ever heard gunshots. I think you should take her home, give her a few days to work through it and see what happens."

"I don't know, man, she fought me so hard, refused to let me go out there. Then she got hurt anyway. She must think I'm a fucking useless prick."

"Sy, I heard most of what happened." Softy looked embarrassed.

"What do you mean? How?" 

"Vix rang me while she tried to stop you. All I heard was her telling you she loves you. That's why she wouldn't let you outside. She knew the cops were coming. She didn't want to lose you when all you had to do was wait. She knew what you would have done to him if you had gotten to him. She wasn't going to let that happen unless she had no choice."

"Maybe she's angry I lost control, and she had to be the one to step in."

Softy sighed, "mate, I don't know how you don't know this, but chicks like Vix can do a lot for themselves. What she's going through now, though, this is when she needs you, she can't go through it on her own. You being with her feels safe. You don't have to do anything. All she has to know is that you'll have her back. If you aren't there for her now, mate, you'll lose her forever."

**************************

I took Vix home a few days later. I had spent all my time with her at the hospital, only going home late at night to shower and sleep. I'd come back early in the morning, bringing her a cappuccino and something to read. It felt awkward. It was like the Grand Canyon had forced its way in-between us. We hardly spoke to each other. Vix would read a magazine or play on her phone. I had spent days watching tv mostly. My back started to hurt from sitting in those God awful hospital chairs.

Nothing changed when we drove home. Despite both of us having so much to say, neither of us spoke. I know I didn't have any idea where to begin or if she even wanted to hear what I had to say. 

When we pulled up at our house, I tried to help her inside, but she brushed me off. She didn't need my help, really. The doctors said she needed to take it easy a few more days, but she could go back to work if she wanted. Still, it hurt that she didn't want my help.

"You hungry?" I asked, trying a different tact to break down the divide between us.

Vix shook her head. "I just want to shower, then go to bed."

I nodded. She stood there, staring at me. "Do you want me to help you in the shower?" I asked.

"I think I can manage," Vix said, pulling out her PJs.

It wasn't a no. Maybe I should leave it and try again later. It seemed to me, though, the longer we went on like this, the harder it would be to come back from. "I want to help you, Sweet Pea."

Vix gave me a confused look. Eventually, she nodded, agreeing to my help. In the harsh bathroom light, she looked so pale, and her eyes had lost their usual spark. When the shower was warm, I motioned for her to get in.

"You're not coming in?" Vix asked. I shook my head. She nodded and got in.

I knew Vix's shower routine well, having either watched her or done it for her a hundred times. First, I washed and conditioned her hair. Then I washed her body with her sponge, trying not to stare too much. I couldn't stop looking and trying to imprint every part of her in my mind in case she never let me touch her intimately again. I got her toothbrush and waited while she brushed. Finally, I helped her remove the dressing on the wound and gave it a gentle wash.

After wrapping Vix in her robe and tying her hair in a towel, I put a new dressing on her neck. She caught my eye. I gave her a brief smile, and she half-smiled back. She touched my cheek, and her fingers ran through my beard. I closed my eyes. Grateful for her touch, I leaned into it a moment before continuing to applying the bandage. She quickly withdrew her hand.

I took her to the bedroom. She had pulled out an oversized t-shirt to wear to bed but no bottoms. On autopilot, I went to her draws and grabbed a pair of white boy leg panties. I squatted down in front of her as she stepped into them. I noticed her the skin on her legs felt dry. She wouldn't like that. I got her coconut moisturiser and squatted back in front of her while she sat on the bed.

"What are you doing, Sy?" Vix asked. She hadn't called me Noah for days, and I missed hearing her say my name.

"I was fixin' to put this stuff on your legs as you do. I know you hate it when your legs feel dry." I looked up at her. She was chewing on her lip. Her hair was still wrapped in the towel, but her robe had been cast aside, ready to get dressed. My eyes roamed hungrily over her body before I could stop them.

What was I thinking? I couldn't rub moisturiser on her without getting a fucking boner. Taking a deep breath, I warmed the lotion between my hands. I'd just have to be quick about that's all. I quickly wiped the lotion on her shins then rubbed it in on her lower legs. She stood up, and I rubbed it up her thighs. In my haste, my hand went too high, and my thumb grazed her sex. Vix gasped. I closed my eyes. God damn, even in that briefest of touches, she felt so warm.

"Sorry," I mumbled. "Turn around." I rubbed the back of Vix's thighs. This wasn't good. I was face to face with her tattooed seam line and bows. I don't know why they always turned me on so much. Her panties only covered half of her ass, and her pert cheeks hung out the bottom. God damn, I wanted to bite her ass so bad. I knew she usually used the lotion on her ass but knew my limitations, and rubbing her ass and not turning it sexual was beyond my abilities. I stood up and moisturised her back and shoulders. I turned her around and did her arms. Next would be her chest and belly. Fuck that. I couldn't do it. I already had a raging boner.

I cleared my throat and asked Vix to sit. Her feet should be safe. I lifted one and started massaging it, rubbing the cream in with my thumbs, pressing hard into the ball of her foot. I picked up her other foot and did the same. Hearing a low stifled moan from Vix, I looked up at her. She was still biting her lip, her breathing had become rapid, and her cheeks had colour. Fuck, she's as turned on as I am. I looked away, not knowing what to do. Surely she doesn't want sex. She would have said if she did. She always does.

"Do you need some on your chest?" I asked. I met her eyes. They looked bright and alive again. She nodded. I sighed. Fuck, I shouldn't have asked.

Vix looked away from me. "No. Don't worry about it. You don't have to," she said.

"I want to, Darlin'," I said.

"No, you don't." She insisted. Her chin started to tremble. Oh God damn it, Kitten, please don't cry again. I don't know if I could bare it. "You can hardly stand to touch me," Vix said. I shook my head. She pulled the robe back on and covered herself. "Don't deny it. You hate me for stopping you."

"Vix, are you..."

She covered my mouth with her fingers. "Shhh. I get it, be mad at me for stopping you from doing whatever it was you thought you had to do. But I saw the look in your eyes. You were going to kill him. Then it would have been you the police killed. Even if they hadn't, you'd be in prison, that is, if Rob didn't get a lucky swing in first. I couldn't let that happen. I don't care if you never touch me again. I'd do the same thing right now, in a fucking heartbeat. You're safe and alive, and that's all that matters."

My mind was reeling. Does she think I'm mad at her? What kind of fucked up parallel universe is this? "Victoria," I shook my head. I didn't even know what to say. "I thought you were mad I hurt you. I thought you were mad that you had to stop me. You ain't mad at me?"

"No." Vix looked weary. "It's not that I wouldn't want you to physically protect me ever. If we were in the middle of nowhere or if he had been in our house, fine. But the cops were on their way. Why risk it? Why would I risk you?"

"It's my fault you're hurt, though."

"No, Sy. Like you told me a week ago, it was his fault. His choice. You made me see that. I just have to make you see it now too."

"But if I hadn't run off like an emotional..." I started, but she cut me off.

"How could I be mad that you were emotional? You love me. You did what you thought was right, and so did I."

I sat next to her on the edge of the bed. "So you've been acting weird because you thought I was mad. But I was acting weird because I thought you were mad." She nodded. "Lil Girl, we really need to learn how to talk to each other."

Vix smiled at me and nodded again. It was the first genuine smile she had directed to me in days. My breath stopped a moment. She was so beautiful, and sometimes it hurt my heart to look at her.

Vix had pulled her robe shut but hadn't tied it. It gaped at her chest, and I could see the enticing curve of her tits. I needed her now. It had felt so long since I had touched her. "So, you want some on your chest?" I asked, indicating the lotion.

Vix nodded. I climbed onto the bed, sat against the headboard, and patted the space between my legs. A slow grin grew on my face as Vix crawled up the bed towards me, her robe hanging open. Coming right up to me, she stopped her face centimetres from mine, and I could smell her minty breath. She got to her knees and slowly dropped her robe from her shoulders. Now it was her tits an inch from my face. She reached up and took off the towel around her hair, and her nearly dry hair fell around her shoulders in subtle waves. Then she rolled herself over, and she leaned her back into my chest, sliding down my body until she sat between my legs.

"Teasing me already, lil girl?"

Her voice was low and sultry as she said, "I know you like it when I do."

"The doctors told you to take it easy for a few days."

"Then it looks like Daddy is going to have to take care of his Kitten, doesn't it," Vix said, wriggling against me.

Fuck the lotion. I lifted her off me and laid her on her back. I got on my knees between her legs and undid my belt, pulling it through the loops. "Give me your wrists, kitten."

Her eyes went wide, but she put her hands out. I wrapped the belt around her wrists in a makeshift handcuff. I checked the wide leather belt wasn't too tight, and I pushed her arms above her head. "Do you remember your colours, kitten?" She nodded. "What colour are you now?"

"Green."

"You're going to be a good girl, ain't you, Victoria." She nodded. "You're under strict instructions not to move. I don't want my Kitten to hurt herself, do I?" She shook her head.

I was so overwhelmed by lust, I didn't know where to start. I wanted to do everything. Vix looked so erotic with her hands tied up I wondered if she would let me bind her with rope, I could just imagine her tied up in a chest harness with her arms tied behind her back. Fuck me. She'd look a redheaded Bette fucking Page. A rush of desire flowed through me like an electric shock.

I laid over Vix and kissed her mouth. It had been days since we had kissed, and when she kissed me back, I felt it through my whole being. She was my solace. Every bit of tension I had held in me for the past few days started to fade. She opened her mouth for me, and when our tongues met, it felt euphoric, and I was lost in her.

I quickly undressed and took off her panties. I opened her legs and looked at her glistening sex. I lowered myself to the soft, smooth lips that hid her centre. When her sweet taste hit my tongue, I felt bliss wash over me.

"Noah, please." I heard her murmur my name, and I felt exhilarated. I watched Vix as I teased her, and satisfaction filled me as I saw her writhe under my attention. When she fell over the edge, and her sex quivered against my mouth, she was divine and all mine again.


	23. Victoria

Six months later.

Before we knew it, Noah only had a month left until he had to leave the country. We both refused to be apart, so we had planned to live together in the US for a year before returning. We would be back just in time for Jess and Pete's wedding. Although disappointed that I wouldn't be able to help Jess with her wedding, Jess had laughed, saying she had been organising her wedding since she was twelve and would be fine.

One of the main reasons we were going to stay so long in America was that Noah had a Security Consultant job lined up in Texas. He seemed impatient to start working again. Besides, taking a year off work began to eat into his savings.

I made pretty good money and could have afforded to support both of us, but Noah wouldn't hear of it saying, "Vix, you can work all you want to, but I wouldn't feel like a man if I was capable of working and didn't. I ain't wired that way." He was kind of adorable when he got all traditional on me. Besides, he was right. Over the past nearly ten months, I could see he was going a little stir crazy being a house husband.

I was able to line up some work for me as a visiting artist, so I didn't go crazy. We even had a place to live while over there as Sy had a small house that he had before he married. When we came back, we would apply for a Partner Visa to qualify him to start working here. It was a lot of effort, but Noah and I had gotten good at putting work into our relationship.

We had spent a lot of time defining our relationship, making it clear what we both want and negotiating. Noah had agreed to live here, and I had agreed to start trying for a family as soon as he was granted residency. We talked a bit about marriage. We both wanted to get married, and I just figured we would when we got home. Noah was insistent on actually asking me to marry him, a proper down on one knee proposal, saying it would kind of feel weird to him if we just woke up one day and said, 'let's set a date.' He was proving to be much more of a traditional romantic guy, and to be honest; I liked it.

We negotiated our sex life too, which was new for me. I was worried it would make things boring if it was all laid out, but it had made it more exciting in some ways. For example, Kitten and Daddy had become code words for the type of sex we wanted. If we wanted the power dynamic of Noah in control, I would call him Daddy, and he would call me Kitten. If the other one also wanted it, we would reply with their name.

Noah had gotten pretty adventurous, and I guess he had to do something with all his spare time. Since the night he had restrained my hands with a belt, he had gotten more and more into bondage. I got the shock of my life when I had come home from work an hour early one day to see him with a heap of rope laid out on the kitchen table. He had a bondage book open, and he was practising knots. He was a little red-faced about it, saying he wanted to know how to do it correctly before asking me if I would. We took it slow, starting with arms and then legs. I definitely found my limit. I couldn't stand both my arms and legs tied, but one or the other I enjoyed.

By the time my birthday arrived in early November, we had our relationship firmly established. To celebrate, Noah had planned an extravagant date for me. It seemed overkill, considering I was turning 28, and it wasn't a milestone birthday or anything. Jess started dropping hints about how much effort he was going to. I was surprised and thought it was sweet of him.

I felt a little guilty though, he had turned 40 a couple of months ago, and I had thrown him a party with all my friends and Karaoke, of course. But his loved ones weren't there, and I felt a little sad for him about that. Noah said he had spent many birthdays without loved ones, but this wasn't one of them because he had me. He can be very charming sometimes.

I knew to expect some kind of gesture, but I had not expected what was to come. Noah had written instructions on what to wear. I quickly put together that he wanted me to wear what I had worn on our first date. He remembered everything I wore that night. Noah had then disappeared for the day and said he would pick me up later that evening, "just like on our first date."

So I got ready, did my hair and make-up the same as before, and waited, anxious for him to arrive. He knocked on the door at exactly seven. When I opened the door, he looked different. He had dressed almost exactly as he had in the picture I had given him. Wearing a black t-shirt, rolled-up jeans and black boots, he had even trimmed his beard in the same style, and his cute dimples were showing again. The only thing different was that his head was still shaved. I whistled at him in a complete role reversal and got him to turn around.

"Noah, honey. You look amazing." I reached up and hugged him.

"I should be telling you that, Sugar." He said, hugging me back and lifting my chin. He kissed me, and I melted. Every time I kissed him, I still felt that twinge of excitement in my belly.

Smiling, he pulled away quickly and led me to the truck. Only, his truck wasn't in the driveway. A candy apple red 1957 Chevy Bel Air was. My jaw dropped. "What? How?" I asked, unable to speak in full sentences. I wasn't much of a car girl, but this car was the exception. It was spectacular.

Noah had a huge smile on his face, pleased with my reaction. "I hired it for tonight, thought you might like it."

"Like it? I fucking love it!" I hugged him again. I pulled his beard so he would look down, and I kissed him. "Thank you. You are so sweet. Oh my god, you have to take a picture of me with it."

Noah got real serious about taking my photo with the car. He said he knew precisely the pose. He positioned me like a child would a doll, moving my arms and legs into the exact pose he wanted. I was leaning my bum and arms on the hood, one foot on the ground, the other raised slightly. He took a few more pictures, but he was only specific about wanting that one.

I asked him why, and the answer surprised me. He told me about the first time I had visited him at his apartment, and I had been in that exact position when he saw me. He had thought he would love a picture of me like that, and now he had one.

"This is the best birthday ever," I told him truthfully. No one had gone to this much effort for me other than on my 21st birthday.

"It's not over yet, lil girl. Come on. We don't want to be late."

We got in the car, and I asked excitedly, "Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise." Sy winked.

I rolled my eyes, "Ok, Mr Mysterious." I could play the 'remember obscure moments in our relationship' game too.

It wasn't a complete surprised that he took me to the drive-ins. I had already worked out that he wanted to recreate our first date. What did surprise me was that all my friends and Mum were there. Jess and Pete, of course, but Yobbo, Vanessa, Chrissy, everyone, even little Milo, was there. Noah had booked a whole screen for just us. I honestly didn't think he had it in him.

Noah had reserved the diner for my party. We all ate our hamburgers and fries. Yobbo snuck me some vodka, just like old times. Before the movie was to start, we had a cake, and everyone sang, 'Happy Birthday' to me.

"You're so good to me, Noah, thank you." I pulled his face to mine, kissing him deeply.

"You're worth it and more lil girl," Noah said. He looked at me a long time, his bright blue eyes roaming my face. Bringing his hand up, Noah pushed my fringe off my forehead and kissed me there before patting it back in place. My legs felt like jelly when he did that. "Come on. The movie is going to start soon."

Noah had set up camping chairs for us to sit in so we could all watch the movie together. I still didn't know what movie we were going to watch. Sensing a theme to the night, I thought I'd take a stab.

"Let me guess, Grease?" I asked Noah who was starting to look a little nervous.

He nodded with an easy smile, "Yeah, but there's an original short movie to watch first."

Then I heard it. Candy played over the speakers, and I looked at Noah, surprised. He still had that nervous smile. "Watch the movie Victoria," he said, gently guiding my face to the screen and on it was a shaky recording made from someone's phone. The two of us singing that first night we met filled the screen. My heart stopped. I felt Noah put his arms around me from behind. He whispered in my ear, "I love you, Victoria." I felt warmth ripple through me. I tried to turn to hug him, but he said, "keep watching."

Then photos of us flashed over the screen, pictures of us on dates, at parties, on our mid-week trips. Mum was crying but watching us, which was weird. Why wasn't she watching the screen?

I think this was the sweetest thing anyone had done for me.

The song was nearly finished, and Sy let me go. He came and stood by my side just as the words, "Will you marry me, Victoria?" flashed onto the screen.

My jaw hit the floor. Noah was on one knee in front of me. I started shaking, my mind in a hundred different directions. This is what this was about; he had planned all of this to ask me to marry him. I had no idea he would go to these lengths. I should have. He had always paid attention to what I liked and made a lot of effort to do things like this for me.

The song stopped, and it was quiet. Noah said, "Well, will you, Victoria?" My god, he was so nervous. Did he think I would say no? He pulled out a small box from his pocket and opened it. I don't think I even looked at it. All I could see were his blue eyes, bright, eager, and anxious.

I started nodding and tried to say yes, but it couldn't come out. I just kept trying to say yes until I could hear myself say it.

Noah jumped up and pulled me into him, crushing my head to his chest. I could hear his heartbeat in my ear, so loud and fast it sounded like galloping horses, and I imagined mine was no different. Then he let me go, grabbed my hand, and slid the ring home. It was white gold with an emerald-cut sapphire surrounded by diamonds. It was stunning and perfect.

I kissed him again. This time he lifted me into his arms, and I wrapped my legs around him. Everyone was yelling and screaming, my Mum was still crying, but I ignored all of them.

I looked into Noah's eyes. I smiled at him, "I love you, Noah." His eyebrows drew together a moment, and he almost frowned and started blinking a lot. Was he going to cry? I kissed him with unrestrained passion like we were the only two people in the world. His hand reached to the back of my head, and he kissed me back, matching my intensity. I moaned into his kisses, panting with desire. Then we remembered we weren't alone. His kisses slowed too until he stopped and whispered in my ear, "Let's pick up from here later, Kitten." I felt my empty core clench at nothing. Couldn't we go home now?

"Yes, Daddy," I whispered back. With a cocky grin put me down, I suppose he had earned the right to be a bit full of himself. As soon as my feet hit the ground, I was pulled roughly into a hug by Mum, and the hugs didn't stop coming. Someone opened champagne, and we had a toast before watching the movie.

I sat on Noah's lap all night, refusing to spend a minute not touching him. I hardly looked at him, though, being so hungry for him. I knew if I looked at him too long, I'd ask him to take me home. When I did glance at him, his eyes reflected that same hunger.

We were quick to leave when the movie was over. Noah and I said quick goodbyes before he raced me, almost rudely, to the car.

"Fuck, Kitten, I can't stand it. I want you so fucking bad." Reaching his hand into my hair, he kissed me so hard my lips tingled from the tiny pricks his beard gave me.

"I want you too," I said as we game up for air. Noah made a fist and pulled my hair back, exposing my neck to him. He sucked and bit at me, marking me like he used to. His mouth felt so good I ached between my legs.

Noah pulled away and, smiling a big toothy grin, looked at his handiwork. Abruptly he started the car and tore out of the drive-in, tires spinning slightly in the gravel. I patiently kept my hands to myself. I think if I touched him, he'd pull over and fuck me in the car.

The drive home was excruciating. I had to think of something other than the considerable and uncomfortable looking bulge in his jeans. I wanted to touch it. I sat on my hands.

When we pulled up home, Noah said, "run, Kitten." He jumped out of the car and ran to the door, his keys already in his hand. Giggling like crazy, I ran to the front door, and he pulled me inside. His mouth covered mine, and his hands urgently found my zipper and undressed me. He kicked off his boots, and I undressed him too. Games could wait; I needed him to fill me. His desperation was as intense as mine, and we hadn't even made it to the bedroom when I felt his fingers push my underwear aside and part my folds.

"Fuck, kitten. Fuck, you feel so wet and warm." Noah put two fingers inside me, groaning as he did. He kept walking us to the bedroom, but I found walking increasingly tricky as his fingers felt so good.

My body throbbed. I could feel my heartbeat even in my toes, and my whole body was on fire. Noah wrapped his spare arm around my waist, lifting me awkwardly the last few steps to our room. He took his fingers out of me and put them in his mouth while grinding his bare sex against mine. 

Dropping me into our bed, he manhandled me, lifting me to the middle of the bed. His huge hands grabbed my knees, forcing them apart. He had that animalistic snarl on his face that made me moan in wanton desperation. Without removing my underwear, he sheathed himself deep within me. I cried out as he filled me and started thrusting into me with primal abandon. It didn't take me long for my climax to near.

Digging my fingers into his back, I cried out, "Fuck, Noah, please." His mouth was on mine again, ravishing me, his hands pinched my nipples in a vice-like grip, and his hips drove his assault on my core. I pulled his neck to my mouth and bit deep into his skin. Noah growled and held my head to his neck. He squeezed me so tight against him, and it felt like he has trying to meld our bodies together forever. With trembling thighs, the pressure built until I fell apart under him. Raking my nails down his back, I called out, signalling my undoing. My core pulsing so strongly on his cock Noah responded with his guttural cry, and his climax arrived. He released into me, my core so sensitive I felt every upsurge of his ejaculation.

Still breathing hard, I scratched my nails into Noah's short hair, and he to chuckled. Bending his elbow, he rested his head on his palm and gave me his goofy, post-sex smile. He said half apologetically, "I may have been a little excited there, kitten. That was over much sooner than I had planned."

I shook my head, "no, it was exactly what I needed."

"But it's your birthday, and we got engaged. I reckon it probably should have been at least a little romantic."

"We did get engaged, didn't we?" I lifted my hand to have a look at the ring. It was the perfect choice. I gave Noah a quick peck on the lips and snuggled my back into his chest and pulled his free arm around me. "Tonight was very romantic, Noah. I couldn't have asked for anything more."


	24. Syverson

Five months later

"Stop chewing your nails, Victoria." I scolded.

"I can't help it. I want a smoke so bad." Vix wined. She looked up at me with a pouty bottom lip. Vix so rarely looked nervous, but she was adorable when she was.

Covering her hand with mine, I brought it up to my lips and kissed it. "Don't be nervous, Sweet Pea. They're going to love you."

The reason Vix was so anxious was that we were standing outside my sister Caroline's house. Vix was about to meet my family for the first time. She had also quit smoking five days ago and had been moody all week. Meeting both my Mom and my sisters was making her mood swings worse. Knowing Vix and my family as I did, Vix will be fine after ten minutes.

I had wanted Vix to meet my family sooner, but the time had gotten away from me since working again. I felt a little shitty that it took me three months to organise it. Well, I didn't organise anything. Caroline had gotten pissed off that I had been stateside for so long and hadn't visited, so she insisted we come for the weekend. Once I had agreed, she got Mom and Brooke to come along too.

Despite all the moving around we had done as kids, Caroline and Brooke had ended up living in the same city. Mom had followed them as soon as the babies had arrived, and as far as I know, she had stopped chasing men and settled into life as a grandmother. Caroline had offered for us to stay with them, but I wasn't going to sleep with Vix on an air mattress in the middle of my sister's lounge room. I opted to get an Airbnb instead.

Vix didn't want to show up to Carolines empty-handed and had thought for days about what to bring. I came home from work late last night to Vix wearing an apron and making lamingtons. She looked real cute baking, and she had to threaten me with a wooden spoon to get me to leave her alone to finish. The minute she was done, I had hoisted her over my shoulder and carried her to the bedroom.

"What are you smiling at, Noah?" Vix asked in a voice that suggested she knew exactly what I was thinking about.

Before I could answer, the door swung open, and a very heavily pregnant Caroline answered the door. She squealed and pulled me in for a hug. I had to chuckle because her little arms could barely reach me past her huge belly.

"My God, Noah, I missed you!" Caroline said.

I kissed her on the cheek. "It's good to see you too, Caroline," I said. I put my arm around Vix and introduced her. "Caroline, this is my Vix. Vix, my baby sister Caroline."

"Oh my gosh, look at you! You're as pretty as a peach." Caroline put her arms out, and smiling, Vix hugged her.

"How you going? Thanks and Congratulations." Vix said. Then she thrust the box of lamingtons into Caroline's hands. "Here, I made some dessert."

"And that accent!" Caroline gushed. "Well, come on in and meet everyone. Everyone is excited to meet you." Putting her arm around Vix's shoulders, Caroline led her into the house. Caroline turned around and gave me a sneaky thumbs up. Laughing, I followed them into the house.

When we stepped out into the back yard, Vix and I were met with squeals from Brooke, hugs from Mom and handshakes from my brothers-in-law.

I realised just how long it had been since I had seen my family when Caroline introduced her youngest, Della, to Vix. She was three years old, and I still pictured her as a baby. The last time I saw her, she was crawling around in diapers, and now she was proudly telling Vix she goes to potty all by herself and always washes her hands.

I sometimes felt bad that I wasn't in my family's lives more. I hardly knew my sisters as adults. When I enlisted and left for training, Caroline still had braces. I know that part of the reason I didn't stay in close contact was to protect myself from missing home. Now, I was used to it. I still loved my Mom and sisters and always would despite the distances. I do regret not having a strong bond with my nieces and nephews. I would have liked to have played with them or at least hugged them, but most of them were scared of me. I didn't blame them. I know what I look like, and I'd have been scared of me too.

The kids took to Vix quickly. It was hard not to take to her. She had such a warm smile. I was right about her only being nervous for a short time. Within ten minutes, she had swiftly been ushered inside by Mom and Caroline under the guise of helping to make the salads. I squeezed her hand before she went to make sure she was ok. She let me know she was ok with a full smile that made my heart race.

An hour later, she had come out. I think she'd still be in there getting grilled if Brooke hadn't convinced the kids to get her to play tag with them. Brooke and I had grown up close as we only had 18 months separating us. Caroline was five years younger than Brooke and grew up differently from us. She was a lot closer to Mom than Brooke or I were.

I was at the grill with my brothers-in-law when Brooke called me over.

"Hey, bro." Brooke was sitting on the bench at the outdoor table had just finished feeding her fourth, youngest, and last if her husband Phil had anything to say about it.

"Hi, Brooke," I said, giving her a peck on the cheek as I sat down. "Thanks for sendin' in the rescue squad."

"Yeah. I figure an hour with those to hen's clucking and playing 20 questions is enough."

I peeked over at my newest nephew. Little Parker was born a week before Vix and I arrived. I guess I'm a pretty shitty Uncle since I couldn't even get my act together to meet him. I gently pulled down his blanket to get a good look at his face. He was real cute. 

"Want to hold him?" Brooke asked.

I did, but I didn't want Brooke to know that. I had rarely held my nieces and nephews in the past. If I were in the states, I would usually visit and hold the baby just long enough for the obligatory photo and hand the baby back. "Nah, he will probably chuck up on me and wreck my nice shirt," I said, smiling. "Besides, kids always cry when I hold them."

Brooke smiled, "he's asleep, Noah."

"Alright." I put my arms out and took Parker. He was a sweet little thing and smelled like baby powder. There's something about the smell of a baby that eases your heart.

"So... Vix, huh?" Brooke asked.

I looked over at Vix and couldn't hold back another smile. Vix had Carolines 3-year-old Della on her hip and was chased by her 5-year-old Sawyer and Brookes 4-year-old Grace. She had kicked off her heels and was running barefoot through the grass. God damn, she was gorgeous. "Yeah," I said. "Vix."

"She's a little young, ain't she?"

I raised my eyebrows at Brooke. "She's 28. She ain't that young. You had already had Nora by then."

"Oh, shit. I thought she was like 21 or something." Brooke said, surprised."Well, that ain't so bad. I mean, she looks ready now."

Running around the yard with the rugrats, I supposed Vix did look younger than she was. Her cheeks were flushed from running, and her hair was wild. She looked nymph-like, running around in her pink cotton dress. I had to stop looking at her playing with those kids, or I would start obsessing about getting her pregnant.

I gently opened little Parker's hand with my finger. He grabbed hold like babies are want to do. "Ready for what, Brooke?"

"To have a baby," Brooke said. I must have made a face at her because she quickly said, "Come on, Noah, look at you. You're broody as hell. You ain't never looked at one of your nieces or nephews like that before."

"Shit Brooke, here, take him back," I said, thrusting him into her arms. I sat back and crossed my arms over my chest.

"I must have hit a nerve there." Brooke laughed. "Have you talked about it?"

I nodded. "Vix's keen after we get married."

"That's good, Noah. Cause I never seen you look at anything like you look at her, either. You've changed Noah." I looked at her to see if she was trying to get a rise out of me again. She seemed genuine. "I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, Book," I said, reaching out to hug her.

Brooke leaned into my shoulder, and I put my arm around her. "Wow, Noah. That takes me back. Book, nobody's called me that in years." Brooke said. Book was her nickname when we were kids. It came from the way Caroline used to say her name. She started sniffling.

"You crying, Brooke?" I asked. Brooke wasn't much of a crier.

"No." I gave Brooke a hard look. "Alright, fine, I am," she said. "I miss you, Noah. I thought when you retired, I'd finally see more of you. Then all that shit with Jane happened. Then you run off for a year and come back with a fiancé. And then you tell us you're moving to Australia."

"I didn't exactly plan it, Brooke," I said. "The last thing I thought I'd do was fall in love."

"I know. I'm real happy you did, Noah." Brooke sighed. "The only thing I'm sad about is that you'll be gone for good now."

"It's where she wants to live," I said. "And wherever she is, that's where I want to be. She's my home."

Brooke sat up and gave me an incredulous look. "My god Noah. Look at you being all romantic and shit."

"Shhh, don't tell anyone," I said to Brooke with a wink. "It'll ruin my image."

Mom came over, and I shuffled over on the bench, making room for her to sit between Brooke and me. "I spent a little time chatting to your fiancé, Noah."

"I know, Ma, I have eyes."

"Are you trying to sass me?" She was half-smiling as she said it. "Anyway, she seems nice if a little young."

"She's 28."

"Really? I thought she was 20. I was going to have words with you."

"That's what I said." Brooke chimed in.

"Oh, God damn it. Really?" I asked Mom.

"I thought she sounded mature for her age, but that 20 was too young for you since you'd be wanting kids and..."

"Well, she ain't," I interrupted, annoyed. "And she wants to get married and have kids, ok? Any other questions?"

Mom took a drink of her iced tea, unsuccessfully trying to hide a smirk. "No, baby, that's all." She said. Not 30 seconds later, Mom asked, "are you really going to move to Australia for good?"

"That's the plan," I sighed. Checking on Vix again, she was on the ground wrestling with the kids. Grace pulled out some grass from the lawn and threw it at Vix. The other two joined in. The grass started sticking to her hair, giving her a cute messy look.

"Vix seems good for you, Noah. When I saw her, I thought you'd gone and made the same mistake, but she ain't nothing like Jane."

"Jesus Christ, Ma," I said, shaking my head. Of course, she would bring her up. She better not have mentioned her to Vix.

"What?" Mom said. "Noah, I'm trying to tell you I approve. She's a sweet little thing, friendly and seems to like us."

I tried to cool down. I love my mum, but she was very opinionated and wasn't afraid to share it. It's true, she had never liked Jane, but I never knew or cared why. Maybe if I had cared, it might have saved me some heartache. I almost asked her what the difference was, but I figured I already knew the difference. 

The difference was me and how I felt. There was a primal passion in everything I felt for Vix that just wasn't there with Jane. It was like my feelings for Vix were a .50 calibre, and with Jane, they were a .22. On top of that, I hungered for Vix every day. Even on the odd occasions that we argued, I still wanted her. Sometimes fighting made me want her more. When she gave me her trust, love and submission after a fight, it meant even more than it had before.

"Alright, Ma," I said. "Thank you."

I got up and tossed out my half-finished beer, and went to Vix. She was trying to stand up but kept being pulled to the ground by the kids. When she saw me, she smiled broadly.

"Help me, Noah," She cried with dramatic fear. She was down to her knees with three snarling and laughing kids climbing on top of her. "I need rescuing from these evil villains!"

Sawyer ran away only to turn around and run straight back towards Vix. Sawyer ran with a 5-year-olds grim determination, arms out, screaming and ready to attack. Vix saw him at the same time I did, and I heard her mumble, "oh shit!"

I caught Sawyer before he reached her and held him under one arm. I pulled Grace off Vix with my other hand and held her too. Roaring at the little troublemakers, I pretended to throw them to the ground and tickled both their bellies until they made their escape. Della followed without encouragement, toddling after her cousin and big brother.

I put my hand out to help Vix up. She took it, and I wrapped my arms around her waist. "My hero." She said, with just a hint of sarcasm in her tone.

"Hero, huh? Doesn't the hero get a reward after rescuing the damsel in distress?" I asked with a smirk.

Vix laughed. "This hero does," she said and pulled my beard until she could reach my lips and kissed me. God damn, even a brief kiss from Vix made my balls tingle.

Pulling away, I smoothed down her wild hair. "Havin' fun Lil girl?" I asked.

"Yeah. Those kids are cutie patooties. Your family seems great."

"I told you they'd love you." I kissed her nose. "Did Ma give you the third degree?" I asked. I rested my index finger on the top of her dress and pulled it away from her, and had a quick look. She wasn't wearing a bra, and her soft, round, pert tits greeted me. I made a soft growl deep in my throat.

Vix nodded. "It wasn't so bad." She said, a little breathless. "Your Mum did ask a lot of questions about my tattoos. Maybe I'll convince her to get one when she comes to the wedding."

"That'll be the day," I said with a chuckle. I lowered my head to her neck and kissed her just under the ear. "You can't even convince me."

Vix's breath hitched. "I am determined to tattoo a wedding band on you." She said, trying to ignore me. Vix had suggested we both get one, and it had become a playful argument between us over the past few weeks. Although I kept telling her I wouldn't, I had every intention to let her. 

Still kissing and nipping on Vix's neck, I took a small step forward until our bodies were firmly pressed against each other. "Sy!" she cried out softly. "Your whole family can see you."

I grinned at her. "I don't care, Kitten." I put my hands on Vix's ass, pulled her in tighter and gave my hips a small thrust so she could feel how hard I was getting. Vix gasped, and her lips parted. "I've decided to stop drinkin' for the day, Kitten."

"Why, Daddy?" Fuck. Her voice changed when she said it, taking on a playful, frisky tone that excited me as much as the words themselves.

"Well, I packed my rope, Kitten," I said. "And tonight, I'd like to play."


	25. Victoria

"Are you ready, Kitten?" Noah asked. Wearing only loose silky red boxers, he was sitting at the small round table in our little open-plan cabin. This would be the first time he has tied me up outside our home. It added another layer of thrill to an already provocative act. A blue duffle bag sat on the table in front of him.

"Yes, Daddy," I replied cautiously. Although Noah had been tying me up for months, I still feel as nervous, excited and aroused as I did the first time. I stood about a metre away, which would give him enough room to walk around me.

"Alright," Noah said. He leisurely started to unpack his bag until three black jute rope bundles were placed on the table.

Fuck. By the way he pulled the rope out, I knew how this was going to go. Noah wanted it to be prolonged and torturously slow until he made me beg. I always tell myself I won't beg this time, but I always end up there—every single time.

I realised that must have always been his plan, which was why he told me what he wanted to do hours ago. He had been building the anticipation deliberately all day. I thought he was negotiating as we usually did when using rope, but he could have done that in the car ride back to the small cabin we were staying in. I can't believe I didn't catch on to what he had been doing. Looking back, it was obvious.

An hour or so after he said he wanted to tie me up, we were having lunch with his family when he squeezed my knee under the outdoor table. He reached behind me, held me firmly on the nape of my neck and pulled me close while moving his lips to my ear. He subduedly whispered, "Do you want arms or legs tied?" Then, he let me go and carried on eating. To anyone watching, it would have looked like a brief hug with maybe an 'I love you', whispered in the ear. It wasn't. It was a deliberate tease, an intentional yet fleeting display of ownership.

"Arms," I said, just loud enough to be heard by him. I heard him repeat it and nodded.

A little later, I helped Caroline and Brooke clear the plates. As I walked out of the house to collect some more dishes to take inside, Noah pulled me into a hug, and his arms were possessively positioned around my waist. "I want chest and arms. OK?" He asked. I nodded. He brushed his lips against mine, the touch as light as a feather and not enough. He let me go, giving my bum a quick pat as I walked away.

These little suggestive interactions kept going for the next few hours. They were enough to keep me at a low level of constant arousal. Noah didn't mention it at all on the car ride to the cabin. He didn't touch me either. Again, it was part of the anticipation building. I'm sure of it. Like he knew that would be all I could think about now that we were alone and could freely talk, but he didn't mention it once, and it only served to heighten my desire.

So now, alone, both of us ready, my hunger for him was so intense he didn't have to do anything. I was already so pliable. Noah just sat there with his powerful, thick arms crossed over his broad furry chest. His hard muscular thighs were spread wide, inviting me to stare at his sex. And God damn him, all I could do was watch as his hardening cock made a bulge in his silky shorts. He knew he was getting me to the point where I would do anything to have him touch me. God, he was good at playing these games.

So I stood there, waiting. The seconds turned to minutes. Noah did nothing. The more he did nothing, the more my body throbbed and cried out to be touched. My breath was ragged and shallow. I felt like I had been running. The more excited I became, the less nervous I was. But soon, the excitement turned to desperation. I looked Noah in the eyes, silently begging to be touched. His clear, blue ones bore holes in me. The longer we looked at each other, the more I craved him.

I breathed a sigh of relief when Noah finally stood up and crossed the space between us in one quick step. Noah cupped my face and bent his knees a little until he was at my eye level. He somehow still felt huge and imposing when he did that. He kissed me with a firm mouth, his tongue sought mine immediately, and he massaged it with his. I grabbed his shoulders, feeling momentarily weak at the knees. Noah chuckled into my mouth and pulled away.

"A little excited ain't you, Kitten?"

I nodded and quickly said yes, "Yes." I needed to speak, or he would stop. It was one of our rules when playing, so he knows I'm still there and haven't shut down.

Noah stood straight again and turned me around. He pulled my loose hair back and tied it up, giving it a little tug to make sure it wouldn't come out easily. Then his fingertips caressed my neck, tracing my jugular before sliding across my shoulder. With a soft groan, I felt him latch onto my neck, his beard tickling my sensitive skin as he kissed and sucked on me. His hands went to my dress, and he undid the zipper letting it fall. His arm wrapped around me, pulling me close to him until I could feel his hard cock press into my bottom. I could do nothing except breathe. I leaned back on him and rested my lulling head against his chest. He laid a hand over my throat but did nothing, just let it rest there while he marked me again. My anxiety faded away, and his touch soothed me.

He returned to the table, and he picked up a bundle of rope, uncoiling it. Placing a finger under my chin, he made eye contact one more time. "Remember your colours Victoria," he stated rather than asked.

"Green," I replied anyway. He inhaled deeply, and I watched as his tongue briefly darted out and wet his lips.

"You're my good girl, ain't you?" He said. The corners of his mouth started to pull up in a smile. His dimples showed just above his bearded jaw.

My breathing increased again, not with nervousness or fear anymore. Now it was pure yearning. "Yes, Daddy. I'm your good girl," I said, and as I uttered each word, the ache I felt between my legs grew.

"Put your arms behind your back, forearm to forearm and wrists facing inwards," Noah said before walking behind me. Already goosebumps formed on my arms, my skin tightening pleasantly as the sensation rolled over my skin. I shivered as the feeling receded. I heard Noah chuckle; he must have seen it. He becomes very observant when he ties me, and sometimes he notices things before I register them myself.

I placed my hands as he said. The position was uncomfortable when we first started, but I had built up flexibility over time, and now it was easy and almost comfortable. I felt Noah's hands on me, and his fingertips were blisteringly hot against my skin. Fuck, if I'm that sensitive before I'm tied, what would it feel like when he is done. Then I felt the rope dragging across my arms, sometimes tickling my spine as Noah slides it around my arms. Its texture, coarse but somehow soft, was arousing in itself. Its touch invoked something akin to a Pavlovian response in me. Noah worked swiftly but certainly, and I soon felt the familiar jerking as he tied my wrists off.

Noah placed a tender kiss on my left shoulder and ran his fingers down my arm until he found the spot he wanted. Starting his box tie, he put the rope near the top of my arm and brought it across my chest nearly, hugging me as he passed the rope from one hand to the other. I was aware of his breath on my back and heard his short grunts of effort as he made sure the friction ties were secure. His fingers slipped between my skin and the rope, making sure he hasn't made them too tight. He placed his fingers into my hands occasionally, a wordless command to squeeze, to make sure he hasn't restricted my nerves.

As Noah worked the rope around me, I fell into an almost meditative state. The world was gone, and it was just me, Noah and the rope. There was nothing to think about as the rope's restrictive pressure started to feel like a comforting embrace. There was no point in fighting it. Even half-finished, most of my upper body muscles were trapped. The rope halted each attempted movement. I relaxed into the ropes hold, submitting to it, and in turn, to my love.

Before I knew it, Noah was finishing off the rig with a y-harness, bringing the rope over my shoulders and back up, twisting it between my breasts. When he does, we are almost finished. I took my last look at him, tieing me, and he looked so powerful and confident in his movements. His concentration and attention to detail added to his dominance. Noah doesn't just want to tie me up, make me helpless to his whims. No, he wanted to make me look striking, tempting and carnal. The aesthetic of the rope was as vital to him as the function. He liked how I looked tied up by his hand. I caught his eye, and for a brief moment, I saw his concentration slip. He made a low rumble sound in his throat, and his eyes move to my parted lips.

"Fuck," Noah mumbled. His lips were on me, my bottom lip sucked into his mouth and given a little bite. I moan his name, and he let me go. Noah's face focussed again, and he was careful not to hold my gaze until he was done.

Noah moved behind me and completed his work. Nervousness crept back in. This was the part where I had no idea where he would go. What would he do? Now I had no say, and I was helpless to his whims. This is where my trust was tested, but also where he had earned my trust over and over. I didn't fight the ropes at this point like I used to, now I gave in to the vulnerability.

Walking around me, Noah observed his handiwork. He was stalling, dragging it out like I knew he would. Was he still deciding what he was going to do to me? I don't think so. I think he knew all day what he wanted to do. He saw one part of the rope wasn't lying flat as he liked, and he tsked, jerking me as he flattened it out. A short moan escaped my lips and his eyes blue eyes flared with desire as he took me in.

Hooking his thumbs into my underwear, he slid them down my legs and helped me step out of them. He stayed on his knees, kissed my belly, and his short hair pricked my supple skin, making me squirm. He held me firmly by my hips as he stood and walked me backwards until I was against the wall. He teased me deliciously as I struggled to stay standing and maintain my balance when all I wanted to do was slide down the wall.

He kissed my nipples, his tongue played with my piercings, and he watched my reactions. He looked smug as I moaned and rolled my hips, desperately trying to ease the ache I felt. He kept my legs apart by forcing his knee between mine. I had nothing to rub against, and the pressure built as he licked and sucked on me.

Noah's mouth and hands ravished me excruciatingly, pleasuring me with no hope of release in sight. It was fucking torture. His hands roamed all over my skin, up to my inner thighs, over my hips and waist. His hands were sometimes gentle, other times rough and squeezing my flesh. His tongue and lips on my nipples were the same, alternating between aggressive and punishing to sweet and soothing. 

He wouldn't stop. Noah kept going long past the point of teasing, and now he was bordering on cruel. He wouldn't move on, and he wouldn't touch me where I needed him to. He kept his mouth on my tied up, pushed out breasts until I thought I couldn't take it anymore.

"Please," the word was out of my mouth before I could stop it.

"Please what? What do you want?" Noah grinned, knowing he had me beat entirely and desperate.

"I don't know!" I cried out, frustrated, and started to struggle against the ropes. "I need you inside me."

"You will, Kitten," Noah said, trying to calm me. He nuzzled my chest as his coarse hair grazed my delicate skin. He gave me gentle kisses on my lips, cheeks, and neck until I stopped fighting the bindings. I breathed a sigh of relief, but I should have known better. "Just not yet," he added, and I half sobbed in desperation. Noah returned his mouth to my chest while his hands teased the insides of my thighs.

"Please, I can't..." I whimpered as my legs started to give way. Swaying, I wanted to fall to the floor.

"Yes, you can, lil girl. You've been so good, so patient, just a little more, Kitten." Noah's mouth left my breast and trailed down my trembling belly. As he went lower and onto his knees, I felt his warm breath brush my wet slit, and my relief was immeasurable. But he didn't give me what I needed, and instead, he lifted my leg and placed his shoulder under my knee and kissed my thigh.

I moaned in pain and desire. "Fuck, please, please," I begged and begged. For a moment, I thought I'd cry or scream in frustration as Noah's lips made their slow ascent up my thigh.

Then his coarse hair scraped my swollen, sensitive sex. I groaned in relief, but I was too sensitive, and my hips betrayed me and jerked away in surprise. Noah wasn't having any of that. He had waited long enough as well. Gripping me fiercely, he used his thumbs to part my folds, and his tongue made its way between onto my desperate, quivering clit. My whole body shook, and I cried out as I felt the pressure rise towards my explosive end.

"I'm, I'm going to..." I couldn't finish. I couldn't say anything else. I looked down and saw Noah between my legs, his eyes dark and piercing as he looked back at me. He pressed his face into me with deliberate movements and hummed his agreement against my sex. The vibration of his voice was the catalyst, and I exploded with a wail, my whole body undulating as the waves of my climax blew me apart.

Panting and euphoric, I felt the warmth of my orgasm linger inside Noah's embrace. While I was still dazed, he took me to the floor and held me on his lap with my legs wrapped around his. He patted my hair and cooed in my ear.

"You did good, Darlin'," he said reassuringly. Praising me, he calmed me, shushed me, gave me time so I wasn't too sensitive to continue. When I smiled at him, he asked about my colour, and I assured him I was ok.

Grinning wolfishly, Noah stood me up before getting up himself and letting his shorts fall to the floor. Proud and erect, his sex held my attention. I licked my lips as warmth bloomed between my legs again. The sight of his thick cock straining and throbbing brought me out of my euphoria and into painful yearning. I still needed to be filled.

Noah moved behind me, and his cock rubbed against my lower back. He held my throat and used it to force my head to the side, exposing my neck. Noah started to talk to me between kisses, whispering the wicked things he wanted. "You're going to suck my dick real good, ain't you lil girl?"

"Yes, Daddy," I said.

"And your pussy is going to be tight and wet for me, isn't it?"

"Yes, Daddy," I breathed hard.

"And you're gonna come again for me, ain't you, Kitten?"

"Yes, Daddy," I moaned.

"Then I'm gonna pull out and paint your pussy and ass with my cum."

"Fuck, yes, please. Daddy," I swore and was momentarily ashamed at how much I wanted that.

We neared the bed, and he put a pillow on the floor and piled two pillows on top of each other on the bed.

He turned me to face him, and his eyes were fierce. Although still in control, gone was the sensual Noah, the tease you until you scream Noah. All that's left was beast Noah, the ruin you until you cry, Noah. He scared me, but the fear was electrifying, like quicksilver in my veins.

He took me to my knees on the pillow and held my hair in his fist. "Open up, Kitten," Noah said, his voice filled with dark desire. I opened for him, and he pushed himself in deep until he hit my throat. Noah went deeper, choking me, forcing himself in until I had no choice but to allow it, and I tried swallowing him down my throat. Groaning, Noah pulled out, his chest puffing, his breathing ragged. He said, "You're the hottest fuckin' thing I've ever seen. With my dick down your throat, on your knees and tied up just for me, you're fucking beautiful."

I was burning again, my body on fire, my arousal sliding onto my thighs. Noah continued to fuck my mouth, mostly shallow thrusts. He wanted to feel my pierced tongue lap and suck. And I did, watching him, hearing his noises as he took what he wanted. He looked beautiful and savage as his body moved with an untamed grace, all masculine and dominant. 

With speed I wasn't ready for, he lifted me up and gave me a brutal kiss. My sore, bruised lips cried out, but the rest of me wanted more. Noah roughly pushed two fingers inside my core, which instantly clamped down to keep him out. He was too rough.

Laying an almost affectionate slap on my clit, Noah growled, "Let me in, Kitten." I mewled against him and nearly melted to my knees. I had no idea how good that would feel. Noah mouth twisted into a dangerous grin, "Oh, you liked that. Kitten. You still surprise me with how filthy you are."

Trying again, Noah brought his fingers to my core. I panted, tried to relax, and he pushed into me. "Good girl," he said as he was let in, but I could feel I was still trembling around his fingers. "And you're wetter than before. You're such a naughty lil Kitten."

Noah removed his fingers, quickly stuffing them into my mouth. My hips bucked as I tasted myself and greedily licked at his fingers. Picking me up, he placed me on the edge of the bed and laid me back against the pillows so I wasn't laying on my arms.

Still wearing a grin that looked more like a snarl, Noah pushed his cock against my slit and shuddered as he rubbed it up and down, covering it with my wet arousal. He paused, raised his eyebrows and looked at me in a way that sent a bolt of fear through me. He suddenly used his cock to slap my clit rapidly. My reaction was instant, and without warning, an orgasm slammed into me. "Fuck," I cried out. I tried to clench my legs together and roll my body away, but Noah held me in place, and I laid panting in shock.

Noah chuckled, "Well fuck me, that was both amusing and a fucking turn on, Kitten." And he entered me, burying his cock deep within me. Gritting his teeth, Noah waisted no time and slammed into me, his movements brutish and with a singular purpose, he wanted to get off. 

Our bodies slammed together, and it didn't take long for my body to respond to his pounding. My cries became rapid and shallow. Hearing my response Noah knew I was close again, and he growled, "One more time, Kitten. Be a good girl and cum on my dick."

I came undone, crying out, feeling my thighs tremble and my sex pump and milk around Noah. He pulled out, and I watched as he jerked his cock until his body shuddered, and he threw his head back with a roar. Jets of white spilled from his cock as he unloaded onto me, again and again, until he gave one last grunt and let himself go.

Noah stood for a moment with his head hanging, breathing deeply. He raised his head slightly, smiling his goofy smile. "You good?" He asked.

"Green," I reply. 

Noah lifted me off the bed, "can you stand while I untie you?" He asked before letting me go. I nodded, and he gingerly took his supporting arms away. Briefly, and with an almost boyish delight, he kissed me. It was one of those just because I love you kisses, firm but gentle, mouth closed.

Walking behind me, Noah undid the rope unfastening me quickly, sometimes kissing my neck or shoulders as he worked. He helped me move my shoulders and elbows slowly so they wouldn't be painful as they returned to their normal position.

"Alright, Vix?" Noah asked.

I hummed in the affirmative, "I'm just tired now."

"I know Darlin'. C'here." He embraced me, lifted my fringe and kissed my forehead before smoothing my hair down. "I love you, Victoria," Noah's voice was warm and genuine. I nuzzled into his chest, and before I could respond, he lifted me and took me to the shower.


	26. Syverson

"Vix, have you seen my keys?" I asked, poking my head in the bathroom. I had to leave for work within five minutes, or I'd be running late, and I couldn't be late. Not today. Vix was in the bathroom, doing her hair. Naked. Her arms were raised above her head, giving her tits a voluptuous roundness that made my dick twitch. Fuck, I'm going to be late.

"Noah," Vix said. She dropped her arms, and the spell was broken. Her tits still looked inviting. Her pretty pink nipples were hard little buds juxtaposed with her harsh black piercings. I wanted them so badly I could almost taste them.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"You're staring at me." She smirked.

I closed my eyes. What the fuck was I doing? Fuck, I can't remember. "What was I doing?" I asked Vix.

Suppressing a smile, Vix said, "You were asking me if I knew where something was."

"My keys." Right, I have to go to the interview at work.

"Are they in the tray by the door?" Vix asked. She turned and faced me, and my eyes dropped to the small, neatly trimmed patch of hair on her mound.

I gritted my teeth. "Well, I looked there first because that's where they belong."

Vix rolled her eyes and slid past me through the doorway. I clenched my fists as her tits grazed my arm. "I'll help you look," Vix said, going to the hallstand.

"I already looked there," I said, annoyed I was going to be late, and on top of that, I was going to have to get through my interview horny, making it nearly impossible to concentrate.

"Did you check the floor?" Vix asked.

"Why would they be on the floor?" 

"Oh, what? You don't remember accosting the moment I walked in the door last night?" Vix got down on her hands and knees and to look under the stand.

Despite being late, I grinned, "Well, 'course, I remember." My eyes widened as she reached under the stand, and she stuck her ass in the air. I could see her delicate folds and above that her other little tight hole. Oh, sweet Jesus.

"Fuck Vix, warn a man before you do that." Well, I'm fucked. That's all I'm going to think about all day. My suit fitted a little snug, and my dick strained against my pants. Fuck, today was not the day to obsess about Vix's pussy and ass. Well, obsess about it more than usual.

Vix pulled my keys out from under the stand. "Do you remember I knocked the tray over because you couldn't wait the five seconds it takes for me to hang up my bag?"

"Oh yeah, I do remember that," I said, grabbing her wrists in one hand and turning her, so she was looking at herself in the hallstand's mirror. I watched us as I leaned into her neck and nipped at her ear. I held her tit in my hand and rolled her nipple between my finger and thumb. "We did somethin' like this, didn't we, Kitten?"

"You're going to be late." Vix moaned.

"Fuck," She was too distracting. I let her wrists go and turned her face to me. I kissed her, keeping my mouth closed because if I felt her tongue, neither of us would go to work that day. "Hmm, I love you, lil girl." I smacked her ass hard, and it made a loud crack. I added, "put some God damn clothes on next time you want to bend over like that." Vix stuck her tongue out at me but did walk back to the bathroom, rubbing her ass.

I got to work on time, but instead of stopping on my floor, I rode the lift to the conference room, running through the job description in my head. Crisis and contingency planning, developing/ updating security plans, risk assessments and scenario planning. In other words, solve problems before they arose. I could do this job in my sleep.

I needed this job. We needed me to get this job. It was the solution to so many problems Vix and I were about to face. The position was based in Sydney, and I would be the South East Asia/Pacific, Safety and Security Advisor. It would be an internal promotion which was good. The company I worked for preferred not to have a high turn over of staff for security reasons. The only thing against me in the job was my lack of experience in the Asia Pacific region. I was asked about the deficit in the interview, and I hoped I argued persuasively that the skills I had were transferrable anywhere in the world.

The job would automatically come with permanent residency, meaning we would not have to go through the bullshit of applying for a partner visa. Not to mention the generous salary. Vix wouldn't have to worry about money when we had kids. I would make enough with this job. It was too perfect to pass up.

I left the interview feeling confident. It was the final interview in a process that had started about a month ago, just after Vix had met my family. The opportunity came up, and I took it. I hadn't spoken to Vix about it. I didn't want to get her hopes up. If I'm honest with myself, I didn't want her to let her down. I would have plenty of time to tell her. The job start date is in July, two months away, and I would get two weeks to move my family and settle in. The job also came with six months of free rent on a home to help with relocation costs.

I had to get my mind off the job and onto other things, like my current role. But it wasn't proving easy. I was told I would have to wait until Monday before I knew if the job was mine. It was Friday, but I had the feeling those two days would be long. 

I wanted the job to get Vix home and get myself permanent residency in Australia. I didn't want her to have to go through the process of proving our relationship, getting the paperwork and waiting, not knowing how our lives would turn out. This way, I had control of the situation, and we wouldn't have to wait potentially years to know the outcome.

My mind wandered back to Vix as it always did. Thinking about her usually did one of two things, either it calmed me down or made me horny as fuck. Today, it made me horny. I looked at the clock, and it was 4 pm. I suppose I could leave now. I had no real set hours as long as I get the work done. The problem was, I hadn't gotten the work done. It would be waiting for me come Monday morning. There wasn't much left on this plan, and an hour of solid work would finalise it and then I could go home to Vix. 

I'm glad I stayed because not five minutes had passed and I received the phone call telling me I got the job. After punching the air, thanking them and listening to the instructions for signing the contracts, all I wanted to do was see Vix and celebrate. I practically bolted to the lift and down to the car park.

It wasn't until I was 10 minutes into my drive home that I remembered Vix wouldn't be home for another three hours. I thought about calling some friends and meeting them at a bar for an hour or so, which we sometimes did on a Friday after work. I dismissed the idea immediately. I couldn't wait. I'd go crazy if I had to sit for hours, waiting, even if it was with friends. I was too eager to tell her and in the mood to celebrate. 

I changed course and headed to Vix's work. Even if she were busy, I'd rather wait there for hours than anywhere else. Then I'd take her out to dinner and tell her the news. After that, I'd take her home and fuck her till she couldn't remember her name.

Twenty minutes later, I walked into the shop. Half of the shop had eyes on me, staring. I looked down and realised how out of place I looked in my dark navy windowpane suit, white shirt, blue silk tie and brown leather shoes. I still had my beard, but I kept it trimmed and neat. I had grown my hair longer, and I suppose the suit looked like it actually belonged to me these days.

I searched out Vix but couldn't see her.

"Hi," the desk girl said. Like most desk girls, she was young and pretty. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah," I said, looking past her, into the workspace. "I'm lookin' for..." Then I saw her. She was facing away from me, tattooing a guy who was at least as big as me, about ten years younger and probably more attractive. For half a second, I wanted to kill him. He was laying on the bed, and Vix leaned over his thigh. His shorts were pulled up high on his leg, and her hands were less than an inch from his junk. I saw him say something to her, and she looked up at him, replied with a laugh before she started her machine up again. She's just doing her job. She's just doing her job, I told myself.

The desk girl was still waiting. "Sorry," She said. "Who you looking for?" The artist next to Vix said something to her. Vix laughed again but turned around. Vix saw me, and her eyes widened in surprise. I couldn't help but smile at her. She raised a finger in a 'wait' gesture and winks.

"I'm not sure," I replied, stalling for time. Vix said something to the artist and the guy she's tattooing, and they both looked at me, both shaking their heads. I wondered what she was playing at. She slid her chair around to her station and put her machine down before pulling her gloves off. 

Saying one last thing to them, she walked over to me seductively, her hips swaying and her shoulders back forcing her chest out. I can't help but grin at her. She's such a God damn tease.

"It's ok, Alysha," Vix said to the girl. "I can handle him." And she leaned over the countertop and pushed her tits together, "Can't I?"

"Yes, ma'am," I said, and the girl walked away. "What's this all about, Victoria? Why are those two looking at us?

"Well, apparently," Vix curled her finger, beckoning me closer. I leaned in. "You look like a CEO/ Billionaire Dom type, and KC over there thinks you're hot."

I raised an eyebrow. "Is that a fact?" I said, and I put my arms out wide over the bench, making myself look more prominent, playing along.

Vix nodded, "So I said I bet I could get your number." She reached over and pulled my tie out of my jacket, and started reeling me in. 

My pants felt extremely tight. Fuck, Vix was going to get it later. "How much?" I asked. We were close, and our faces were a hairsbreadth away.

"$50," Vix said, licking her lips.

I put my hand on her throat and held Vix still. A whimper escaped her lips. Her eyes were bright with excitement, her breathing was rapid, and her tits were threatening to spill out of her dress. I growled, "I ought to spank you for teasing me like this, Kitten."

"You love it, Daddy," she whispered. Fuck. 

"Hmm, true. I think I'll spank you anyway." I kissed her hard and gave her lip a nibble. I let her go and, leaning over the counter, I grabbed a pen and a piece of paper from the desk. "I'm taking you out for dinner, Kitten. How much longer do you have?" I wrote my number on the paper and signed it "Daddy" before handing it to Vix.

Vix blushed reading it. "About an hour on this guy. He's the last for the day."

"I'll be back in an hour. Make sure you get that $50 before you tell them who I am."

"Don't you worry, I will." Then she whispered, "I love you, Daddy," before turning and walking back to her station waving the paper at KC.


	27. Victoria

I was on my knees in front of Scott when KC said, "Vix, oh my God, Daddy is back." I grinned and peered around Scott's legs, giving Noah a little wave. He nodded his head, acknowledging me, but his eyes were dark. Uh oh, Daddy is jealous. Noah sat on the sofa in the waiting area and crossed his arms across his chest, and one of his legs started to bounce. Still grinning, I sat back where I was and took the picture.

"You know him, don't you? Who is he really?" Scott asked as I took two more photos. I looked up at Scott. He was looking over at Noah.

"He's my fiancé," I said.

Scott laughed, "no shit! That's your fiancé?"

"What!" KC exclaimed. "Vix, you bitch. Gimmie my money back."

"Nah," I said, standing up. "I'll keep the money in payment for having to listen to you tell me what you'd like my man to do to you for the last hour."

KC blushed, "Oh shit, Vix. Hey, I didn't know."

I showed a laughing Scott the photos of his tattoo and said to KC, "I know you didn't. That's why it's so funny. You had some creative ideas, though. I might ask him about a couple of them." I gave her a wink, then I got on my knees again and gave Scott's tattoo a final clean, then dressed it.

"When you said he was ex-army and worked in security, I thought you meant like a security guard," Scott said.

"Nah, he was Special Forces. A Captain. He was out when I met him," I said, getting up.

"That's why you asked all those questions." Scott had gotten married a couple of months ago. He was a Ranger and had a military wedding, so I got curious and asked him about it.

"Yeah, I didn't know anything about it. I don't think we do anything like it back home."

I took Scott to the desk, where he paid, and asked Alysha to book him again in two weeks. I had to avoid looking at Noah. He was making me laugh with the looks he was throwing Scott.

I waved to Scott as he left and said, "See ya in two weeks, Scott."

"Sure will. Thanks, Vix," Scott said. He made eye contact with Noah on the way out, and they cautiously nodded at each other.

Noah turned his attention to me when Scott left. I wasn't laughing anymore. The stern look he had given Scott was replaced with one that sent my heart racing. It was the same look he gives me when he makes me wait to touch him. He looked herculean with his muscular, thick body straining against his suit and his dominant, masculine posture.

Swallowing hard, I said, "I'll be a few minutes. I have to break my station down."

Acknowledging me with a small incline of his head and a wink, Noah got comfortable, throwing an arm lazily on the back of the sofa and letting his legs sit apart. I couldn't stop myself from peeking at his pants. I licked my lips. He saw my lustful gaze and smirked. Fuck, maybe I shouldn't have teased him so much. I knew I was pushing it after getting on all fours naked this morning. Then adding the teasing from before and seeing me touch Scott like I was, yeah, I was pushing it for one day.

I hurried to tidy my station and broke my machine down for the apprentices to clean and sterilise. I had to calm down, or I would make a mistake. I almost started without putting gloves on.

"Vix," KC said. "Please tell me he has a brother." She was making a joke, trying to make up for what she had been saying about him.

I giggled, feeling some of the pent up sexual frustration I was feeling dissipate. "No, he doesn't. Sy's one of a kind." Chuckling, I added, "and he is exactly like you'd hope him to be."

"Vix, don't tell me that shit," she gave a fake moan. "It's so not fair."

"Have a good weekend, KC. I'll see you Monday." I said, grabbing my bag.

Noah stood up as I approached. "Ready?" He asked.

"Yup," I said and reached up to pull his beard down for a kiss. I heard his deep growl as I licked at his lips.

"Let's go, lil girl," Noah said. He put his arm around my shoulders as we left, and I wrapped an arm around his waist. "Do you mind walking a few blocks? I found a nice place down here."

"I don't mind. How was your day?" I asked Noah as we walked. I let my hand slide down his back and over his rock hard arse. I squeezed it.

Noah shook his head and raised an eyebrow at me. "Victoria," he said in a warning tone. I put my hand back where it was, and Noah said, "I want to hear about your day first."

Feeling a comfortable warmth spread through me, I said playfully, "you were the highlight of my day, Daddy."

Beaming, Noah glanced down at me. "What about me was the highlight? Was it seeing me or teasing me, Kitten."

"Both," I admitted. "Why did you come and see me? You've never done that before."

"Because I had some good news, and I didn't want to wait to tell you." We stopped walking and stood in an alcove of an empty store to not interrupt the numerous pedestrians. Noah took my hands in his, and his thumb played with my engagement ring.

"What?" I asked. Noah didn't show much on his face, but I could tell by the way his eyes shined and the way he held himself that he was excited.

"I applied for a new job about a month ago."

"What?" Surprised, I pulled my hand away. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't want you to be disappointed if I didn't get it." His excitement vanished and was replaced with irritation.

"Why on earth would I be disappointed if you don't get a job? You have a job." A crazy thought came into my head. "Oh my god, you do have a job, don't you?" I had images of him sitting in a park or public library all day to hide the fact he didn't have a job. Surely he trusted me enough to tell me he had lost his job.

"Yes, Vix, I still have my job. Just listen, ok?"

I leaned back against the glass shop window and crossed my arms. "Go on then."

Noah reached out and uncrossed my arms, retaking my hands. I resisted, a little pissed off that he would think I'd be disappointed in him. "I applied for this particular job because I would be based in Sydney."

My jaw dropped. "Really?" I asked. Noah nodded. "And?"

Noah smiled. His dimples appeared in his cheeks, and he looked genuinely happy. "I got it, Sweet Pea," he said quietly and with a hint of pride.

I squealed then covered my mouth with my hands. A few people glared at us as they walked by. I felt a little embarrassed but still elated. "So, they will sponsor you for the job. You'll get a visa through them?" I asked.

Noah's face held the most amazing smile, and his eyes lit up. He took my arms and put them around his waist before he wrapped his arms around me too. "Not just a visa," he said, "a permanent residency."

I couldn't help myself, and I squealed again and jumped up and down in Noah's arms. My heart was thundering in my chest. I felt a deeply held fear start to dissipate. I had secretly worried that he wouldn't be allowed a visa. My worst fear was that we would then try for one here in America and also be denied. Then how would we be together?

Tears welled in my eyes. The relief was overwhelming. Noah held me to his chest, shhh-ing me, and I buried my face into him, breathing deeply in his spicy cologne and his faint masculine musk beneath that. I felt his body heat against my cheeks, his warmth was an added comfort. Gradually I was able to control myself again.

Cupping my face with his hands, Noah appeared concerned. "You ok, lil girl?" He asked. Sighing deeply, I nodded. "I had no idea you were so worried about it. Why didn't you tell me you were worried, Sugar?"

"I had no idea I was either. I mean, I'd thought about it, but nothing like this." I leaned into Noah's chest, wanting to feel his warmth again. He hugged me tightly. I wanted to take his shirt off to feel his skin against mine, climb onto his lap as he gently rocked me. "Thank you, Noah," I said. "Thank you for doing that for me."

Noah lift my chin. "For us, Vix, I'm doing it for us." He kissed me sweetly at first, with soft lips and a light touch. I melted into it and kissed Noah back, but my lips weren't tender. I was too full of passion, and my kiss showed it. He made a low groan deep in his throat, and his kiss quickly became fervent. Desperate to feel his skin, I pulled the back of his shirt out of his pants and laid my hands against his powerful back. When my fingers touched his skin, Noah responded, pressing his hips into my body, and I felt his cock grow hard. "Maybe I should have just taken you home," he said with a husky voice.

Smiling, I said, "no, Noah, it was a lovely idea. We hardly ever go out in the city together."

Noah reached behind his back and pulled my arms away, and tucked his shirt in again. He took my hand and said, "alright. Come on, Vix. Let's get you fed."

We both had pasta at the restaurant. The serving sizes were ridiculous, and Noah always ends up eating half my meal. I sat watching him eat, still fascinated by how quickly he shovels it in.

In between mouthfuls, he asked, "what's the deal with that Scott guy? You two seem friendly." He tried to look nonchalant, but his asking at all was enough for me to know he was bothered by him.

I had to bite the inside of my cheek, or I would have laughed at him and then I would have been in trouble. He looked cute, though, when he was jealous, puffing his chest out and making sure to keep his hands on me. He doesn't do any more than that because I think deep down he knows how much I love him, and no one could threaten his place in my life.

"Yeah, today was the fourth or fifth time I've tattooed him," I told Noah. "He's getting a big leg piece. He will probably be back a couple more times. He's fun to chat to while I work, an interesting guy, and he stays still."

Noah kind of nodded, "that's good, Vix." His tone suggested he thought it was a million things, but good wasn't one of them. I decided to put him out of his misery.

"Yeah, he's a Ranger, actually." Noah raised his eyebrows at that, but I continued before he could say anything. "He got married a few months ago, and today he was telling me about his wedding."

The change in Noah's attitude was hilarious, his shoulders dropped, and some of the lines on his forehead disappeared. I had to fight the urge to laugh at him again. "I guess that's interesting," Noah said. He had polished my meal off and was finishing off his beer.

"Yeah, he had a military wedding. He showed me some pictures of him all in uniform and stuff. I had no idea that was even a thing." I paused, unsure how to ask him the question I had, so I just went with blunt. "Did you want one? A military wedding, that is."

Noah shook his head, "no. I did that first time around, and it wasn't good."

Noah so rarely talked about his ex-wife that sometimes I forget he was married before. It was a shock that he said it so casually too. "Oh, yeah. Of course." I said. Well, that knocked the wind out of my sails. I don't know why I felt crushed by it.

Something must have shown on my face because Noah said, "I don't think you understand my meaning Vix."

"What do you mean then, Noah?" I asked.

"Well, I mean, my first wedding felt kind of, I don't know, forced or something. Like we had to have the big wedding with hundreds of people, I had to be in my dress uniform because it looks good, we had to do this because it's traditional and people expect it. It ended up feeling like a party for her and everyone else, and I lost interest. She wanted the, I don't know, prestige or status, the wedding would have, you know, look at me I married an officer. That never interested me. I like how it doesn't interest you either."

"Oh," I said, mulling it over. Since we were talking about our wedding, I decided to bring the other thing I'd been thinking up. "I've also been thinking about how I wanted to get married at home."

"What about it?"

"I didn't think about how much it would cost and how difficult it was going to be to get your family to Australia. You have a big extended family and all those kids. We could have the wedding here if you want. All I want to be there is Mum, Jess, Pete, Yobbo and Vanessa. It would be easier for your family if they came here."

"Lil girl, that's sweet of you. But I don't care what they want. I only want two things on our wedding day. Number one: for you to be happy and Number two: I want that piece of paper that says your mine. That's it, everything else, I could take or leave. If you want a huge wedding, you can have it. If you want to run away to Vegas and get married by an Elvis impersonator, then you can have that."

My ears pricked up, "What did you say?" I felt the idea take root in my mind. I couldn't, could I? I mean, how fucking awesome would it be? Mum will understand. Jess will need work. He said he would, but would he really?

"That you can have any wedding you want." He furrowed his brows. "What are you thinking, Sweet Pea? Something is going on in your pretty little head that you ain't telling me."

Should I? Yeah, I should. I haven't done even one hour of research or anything into our wedding because I don't care that much, to be honest. Yeah, I want to be married, but the whole traditional wedding thing didn't appeal to me. Of course, I wanted to do something, and I wanted to say the vows, but the big fluffy dress and bridesmaids, no thanks. He's right. All I need on my wedding day is to be with him and have that piece of paper that says he's mine. Fuck it.

"I want to go to Vegas and get married by an Elvis impersonator."

"Are you serious?" Noah laughed so loud that half the restaurant looked at us. I crossed my arms, disappointed. "I'm sorry, Sweet Pea," he said. He reached over pulled my face to him by the nape of my neck. I must have been pouting because he kissed my bottom lip and sucked it into his mouth. Despite being mad, I felt it to my core and moaned. He let my lip go, but he was still close. "Do you really want to? Go to Vegas and get married?"

I nodded, "yeah, I really do."

"Ok, Kitten. Let's do it." Noah gave me his best smile, his eyes crinkled, he showed his teeth and dimples. He was so fucking hot.

"Viva Las Vegas, Daddy," I said, grabbing Noah's tie and pulling him to my lips.


	28. Syverson

"Ready?" I asked Vix.

"Yup," she said. Vix was standing behind me with her hands on my shoulders.

"Ok. Jump." I said. Vix leapt on my back, and I hooked my arms around her legs. Vix said her feet hurt and had insisted she needed a piggyback ride to the car park. She was kissing my neck and nibbling on my ear as I walked. Sometimes she whispered in my ear that she loved me.

Ok, it was fucking adorable. Vix had been all playful after we agreed to get married in Vegas, which only made it worse. But it made me want to fuck her, and she'd already been teasing me all day. Just because she was cute now doesn't mean I'd forgotten all the teasing she had been doing. Or the sight of her this morning, naked with her ass in the air.

"You've been quite the brat today, haven't you Kitten?" I said as I put her down. I quickly adjusted my dick, then I roughly grabbed her shoulders and pushed her against the car. I looked around. There's a fucking guy about to get in his car. I had to wait to do what I really wanted to do, what she has been begging for all day. I opened the back passenger door to hide most of what I would do from anyone who walked past. The car park wasn't brightly lit, and we were mostly hidden in shadows.

Vix moaned and writhed against my body, "Yes, Daddy."

"Were you trying to make me angry, Kitten?" I pressed my throbbing cock against her.

"No, I was trying to make you horny." She said, laughing and grabbed at my dick again. "I think it worked, Daddy."

I fucking love when she gets bratty. I get so fucking hot getting her back in line. Usually, it's a spanking. But she pushed it today so much. I think she needed something else. I needed to let the punishment fit the crime.

"Oh, it did work, Kitten," I said roughly. "And I keep thinking about you on your hands and knees this morning, naked and flashing your pussy and ass at me. You're all mine ain't you, Kitten?" I put my hand to her throat, and I bit into her neck before soothing her skin with my tongue.

"I'm all yours, Daddy," Vix panted. I growled. I wasn't going to make it home without fucking her. I was on the edge and about to be pushed over it.

"Your mouth is mine, your pussy is mine, and your ass is mine too, ain't it?"

"Yes, Daddy," Vix moaned and arched her back.

"Well, Kitten, I've claimed your mouth and your pussy, but I've yet to claim your ass," I breathed harshly in Vix's ear. I looked around the car park again. The guy was gone. I couldn't see any security cameras.

"Fuck," Vix whimpered, and her body collapsed into me. I grinned and bit her ear.

"I'm going in there tonight, Kitten, ain't I?" 

"Please, please," she said. Her voice was wanton and desperate.

"If you want to be a naughty girl, then tonight you can be my naughty girl. I want you to be very, very, naughty."

I looked around the car park again. No one was coming. Fuck it. I quickly unzipped, and, reaching into my pants, I pulled my dick out. I lifted her leg onto my hip and pushed her underwear aside. I pressed the head of my cock at her core and entered her. She was soaking wet, and I slid into her without much force. "Fuck." I spat out through gritted teeth. I could feel her clenching around my cock, and she was close to cumming already. Holding her throat, I kissed her roughly.

"Did you think I'd let you get away with being such a fucking tease?" I growled, forcing Vix to look at me. "No, Kitten, I'm going to take you any way I want tonight, and you're going to love it like the naughty girl you are. Look at yourself, Kitten, you got me so fucking worked up I'm fucking you in a car park and you fucking love it. You're going to cum ain't you?"

"Yes..." she didn't finish, she stilled as her thigh trembled in my hand. I kept fucking her, watching every expression on her pretty face as low moans swelled in her throat and rushed out of her parted lips. Her cheeks were pink, and she momentarily closed her eyes as she came, and the moans became a shout. I felt her walls tighten around my sex, pulsing with each subsequent wave of her climax. I don't think I will ever get enough of watching and feeling her body surrender to her orgasm. It was so fucking beautiful and felt so fucking good.

Fuck, I was going to cum. I pulled out and pushed Vix to her knees and put my dick against her mouth. Without needing to be told, Vix opened her mouth and let me in. She flicked her tongue over the head and up my shaft, and I felt the hard metal ball and soft, warm tongue. She looked up at me with her bright hazel eyes, and her red lips stretched wide around me. I slid my hand into her hair and made a fist. I held her still as I fucked her mouth and felt Vix lick at me as I did. Snarling, I threw my head back as my body clenched, and I felt jets of cum release into her pretty mouth.

I cracked my neck. I felt slightly better now that some of my sexual frustration had been relieved. I helped Vix up and wrapped my arms around her. "You ok, lil girl?" I asked.

She nodded with a half-smile, "Yeah, Noah, I'm good."

I kissed her and could taste both of us on her tongue. I hummed, "yes, you are good, Kitten. But I ain't finished with you. I still have your ass to claim. Get in the car." I opened the door for her, and I couldn't resist spanking her ass as she got in, and while she protested, she was smiling.

Not too long our drive home, Vix got quiet. I could see her chewing her nails.

"Stop that, Kitten." I took her hand in mine and kissed it. "Are you nervous?"

Vix looked at me, and I glanced over at her. She nodded. What could Vix be nervous about? Surely she ain't worried about being fucked in the ass. We had never done it together, but she must have done it before. Maybe, it had nothing to do with sex, and she was nervous about getting married.

"Are you really going to fuck my arse?" Vix asked quietly. I very nearly drove into the car in the next lane. Just hearing her say it made my dick twitch in my pants. I thought I'd make it home without getting a boner again. I'm almost ashamed to say it, but that tremble in her voice, indicating her fear turned me on as much as the idea of taking her ass.

"Yes. I want to, Kitten." I kissed her hand again.

"You've never wanted to before," Vix said.

I nodded, "true. But you've never bent over naked like that before." I hadn't been able to get the image out of my mind all day, especially her little ass hole. I wanted to have all of Vix, even just once. I wanted to know what she felt like there. I glanced at her again. She had a slight frown, and I could see a glimpse of her forehead wrinkled in worry under her bangs. 

I sighed. Vix didn't want to. I was disappointed, but I wasn't going to be a dick. I mean, she did just let me fuck her in a car park then swallowed my cum. "You don't have to, Kitten," I said. "You know I'd never force you."

"I know," Vix said. Then she smiled at me, "I'll try." 

Fucking yes! I couldn't stop the grin on my face, and I bet I looked like a god damn fool. I lifted her hand to my lips and kissed her again.

We pulled up at home, and I jumped out quickly to open her door for her. Vix smiled as I put my hand out for her to take. I pulled her close and into a hug, dropped my face into her neck and nuzzled into her. When she put her arms around me, I exhaled, feeling a comfort that only her arms could give me. God, I love her. Breathing deeply in, I smelled her scent, her coconut lotion and fruity shampoo. 

"I love you, Kitten," I told her, squeezing her tight. She was intoxicating, my dick grew again, and I needed her. I'd be gentle, though, and I'd make it feel good for her. I stood tall, put my hands under her firm ass and lifted her with a grunt. She giggled and put her arms and legs around me, and I carried her inside. I didn't stop until I reached our bedroom. 

I sat on the edge of our bed and kept Vix on my lap. She had half of her vivid auburn hair in rolls on the top of her head. I reached into them and started to pull the pins out that kept them in place and dropped them onto her bedside table. When her hair was free, I ran my fingers through her soft locks. I reached behind Vix, unzipped her dress, and then lifted it over her head, leaving her wearing black lace panties and bra.

Touching her gently, I ran my hands over her waist and hips, enjoying the feeling of her curves. Vix had such a little waist, and her rib bones felt so delicate, like a kitten's, almost soft under her smooth skin. I slid my hands over her tits, feeling her nipples against my palm and kept moving my hands over the top of her bra and up her chest, pausing a moment over her heart. Its tempo was rapid, and so was her breathing. I love how she responds to my touch. My hands continued their path up, and I rested my hands on either side of her neck, my thumbs caressed her throat.

I kissed the hollow at the base of her neck and removed her bra. Still unable not to groan when I see how perfect they are, I didn't suppress the sound. I wanted her to know how beautiful she is, how glorious her body feels to me. I cupped them gently and let my thumbs rub her nipples. I watched as she closes her eyes and arches her back, pushing her tits into my hands.

Putting my hands on her hips, I said, "Undress me, Kitten." Vix took my tie in her hands and pulled the knot free. Then, with light fingers, she unbuttoned my shirt, pulling it free from my pants. She lifted my arm, placed my hand against her heart, and unbuttoned my sleeve before replacing my hand on her hip and doing the same to my other arm.

Vix slid her small warm hands into my open shirt and ran them up to my chest and onto my shoulders. A little shiver ran through me, and she giggled at my response, and I chuckled with her. Moving her hands down my arms, she slid my shirt off.

I wrapped my arms around her wanting to feel her soft, smooth skin against my chest. I stood up, and Vix slid down my body until her feet touched the ground. She undid my belt and pants, and she let them drop to the floor. She reached for my underwear and pulled them down. I smirked when her eyes were glued to my cock. I slipped my hands into her panties and slid them down her thighs until they dropped to the floor. 

I picked her up again, and she held onto me as I took her to the middle of the bed. I laid her down, rolled her onto her tummy, and lifted her hips up. She was wet again, and I dropped my head to her pussy and tasted her. The explosion of sweetness on my tongue made me groan. I licked up her soaked slit and kept going until my tongue dipped over her little puckered hole. She wordlessly cried out, and I wrapped my arm around her hips and held her there while I licked at her. Her hips bucked, and I could hear her swearing as I teased her.

"How did that feel, Kitten?" I asked as I slid a finger into her pussy. Fuck she was so wet. I pressed my finger against her wall in the place she likes, and her breath hitched.

"I don't know." She sounded confused, upset. I rolled her over to face me. 

"Tell me, lil girl." I urged her.

"No one did that to me before." She said, almost embarrassed by it.

"To be perfectly honest, I ain't ever licked an ass before." I smiled at her as she blushed, and I smoothed her hair. "I'd never wanted to until you. But you, I want all of you."

"No one ever fucked me there either." She confessed, "I wouldn't let them." I closed my eyes a moment. God damn, I want it even more now. Just thinking that I'd be the only man she'd let there set my heart racing. 

I kissed her lips gently. "So, how did it feel when I licked your ass, Kitten?" I whispered between kisses. I moved my hand between her legs and cupped her swollen sex.

Moaning, Vix said, "It felt good, Daddy."

"Fuck," I couldn't stop the word escaping my lips. My dick started to throb. I wanted in so bad, but I was going to make her say it. I reached into her drawer and pulled out the lube she kept for her toys. Her eyes went wide. "You're going to be very naughty and let Daddy into your ass, ain't you, Kitten." I slipped my finger into her folds and found her core.

"Yes, Daddy," Vix said, lifting her hips off the bed, trying to get more of my fingers inside. I held her down with my free hand and teased her with one finger before roughly sliding a second one in. Her hips strained against my hand while I moved my head between her legs and licked at her little nub.

I pulled my wet fingers out, and I put lube on them. I pressed my mouth down on Vix and lapped at her with my flat tongue. Using a finger to tease her ass hole, I watched her face as she looked down at me with eyes that were both fearful and excited. Our eyes locked, and I pressed my finger against her puckered hole. Her mouth made an O shape, and my finger slide into her. Fuck. Her tight muscles tried to push me out, but I held there, and she relaxed and let me in. 

I had to see, so I took a quick peek and felt my balls tingle. "Fuck Kitten, this looks so good." I turned my finger inside her and was rewarded with a deep moan. I couldn't help it and pushed another finger in. She panted as it slid in, mewling into the sheets.

Keeping my fingers inside her, I brought my head to hers, "How does it feel now, Kitten?"

With a passion that surprised me, she grabbed me by the nape of my neck and pulled me to her lips. Vix kissed me hard, sliding her tongue straight into my mouth. Growling, I kissed her back, fucking her ass with my fingers.

Pulling away for just a moment, she said, "It feels so fucking naughty, Daddy. I want more, please." 

I kissed her again and bit her lip. She cried out as I slipped my fingers from her ass and started to cover my dick with lube. I wet her hole with the lube again, and my fingers easily slid in and out now.

I rolled over onto my back and positioned her above my dick, pressing it against her ass. "You do it, Kitten. You put me in your ass."

She held the base of my shaft in her hand and slowly lowered herself on my dick. I felt my head push into her, and I gritted my teeth. God damn, it felt good already. I watched Vix, concentrating and lower herself further. I felt resistance, but with a deep sigh, the resistance left, and Vix slid me nearly all the way in.

I grabbed her hips, shouting, "Fuck! Don't fucking move, Kitten!" I was close to blowing, seeing her sitting there, my beautiful girl with my cock in her ass. God, I loved it when she was this naughty. She had a devilish smile on her face. She knew the power she had at that moment. And honestly, I didn't care. It felt that fucking good. I released her hips, and she lifted herself nearly off me before lowering herself again, each time taking just a little more until I was utterly sheathed.

I sat up and put my hand in her hair and my other around her waist, holding her me. "You're so fucking beautiful, Victoria." I kissed her lips, "Does it hurt, Kitten?"

Moaning, Vix started to move her hips gently. "Not now," she said. "You feel so good."

Groaning into her neck, I whispered, "then ride me, Kitten."

Vix started slowly bouncing on my cock. I watched her, captivated by how her body moved and how she felt. I reached between her legs and made those little circles she likes over her clit. Soon her rhythm faltered, and I saw she was getting close. I increased my speed on her clit and gripped her tight. 

"Fuck, Kitten. You feel so good. You're going to make me cum," I growled at her breathlessly. I felt savage, primal, animalistic. She caught my eyes, and I saw that she felt it too. She looked wild, free and exhilarated. 

"Kiss me," I rasped. Vix pressed her lips to mine then bit me. I felt that tremble start in her thighs and clawing at my back. She cried out as her release hit.

I swore as my orgasm hit me, and I felt euphoric as my cum filled her. I held her hips and pulled her down hard onto me while pushing myself up into her, prolonging the feeling of my orgasm as much as possible. With a shiver, it was over, and my body was left in a state of pure bliss. Vix still held onto me, and I nuzzled into her.

Vix giggled. I looked at her, puzzled. "What's so funny, lil girl?"

"I had no idea it could feel that good," Vix replied.

I chuckled, "I had no idea either." I leaned into her until I caught my breath, then scooped her up in my arms and carried her to the shower.


	29. Victoria

"Come on, Vix, the Uber is waiting." Noah poked his head through our bedroom door. He groaned, "Vix, honey, you ain't even got shoes on."

"You should have waited until I was ready to go before calling the Uber," I said a little tartly. I threw my make up into my bag and slid past Noah. I went to our bedroom, and Noah followed me.

"Is this one packed now?" Noah asked after I packed my make-up.

"Yes," I replied, sliding my shoes on. "Let's go," I said, walking past him and waiting at the front door to lock it up behind us.

"Hey, lil girl. Why are you upset?" Noah walked past me and stood near me while I closed the door.

"I'm not." I locked the door and turned. Noah was blocking my path.

"You are," he stated. Noah started grinning, his dimples showed, and he put his hands on his knees and bent over to talk to me like I was a child. "I think I'm going to have to take extreme measures to get you to smile."

I already felt the corners of my mouth twitch. I bit my cheeks to stop myself from smiling. Sometimes Noah was so cheesy it was cute. "Sy, the Uber is waiting."

"Then you better smile, lil girl."

I showed him my teeth. "There, happy?"

"You just have to go and make it hard on yourself, don't you?" Noah shook his head at me. Suddenly, the world spun, and I found myself hoisted over his shoulder and staring at his tight arse. I felt a slap on my bum, and Noah growled, "Stop squirming, Vix or everyone's going to see your pretty panties." He picked up my bag with his free hand and carried us both to the Uber.

I relaxed and hung there. I knew from experience that I wasn't going to get away and that Noah had won. By the time he put my bag in the boot and put me down, I was not only smiling but feeling warmth bloom between my legs. "You brute," I said to him.

"That's my lil girl," he said, placing a gentle hand on my neck and bringing me close for a kiss. He hummed, "get in the car, Vix. Let's go get married."

He had been in an obscenely happy mood all day, practically jumping out of bed this morning. Not that I wasn't excited, because I was. But I also had those niggling doubts running through my mind. You're too young, you're not ready for kids, he's going to lose interest in you.

I didn't have any doubt that I wanted to marry Noah, but that constant inner monologue had started to wear on me. Adding to that Noah's obvious excitement, I felt like a piece of shit and was moody as hell. I didn't help myself either by running up to the shop and buying a pack of cigarettes and smoking five in a row. I had made myself sick for half the day and put off my packing, which was why I wasn't ready when the time came to leave.

By the time we had arrived at the airport and were boarding the plane, Noah's excitement had overwhelmed my anxiety, and my mood was nearly as buoyant as his.

Noah looked ridiculous in the aeroplane seats. His poor thighs were too long and hit the seat in front of us. He had to sit sideways in the seat, and I laid my legs over his. We held hands and smiled lovesick grins at each other.

We were quiet on the flight. It wasn't an awkward silence but a quiet excitement. Like we had a private secret that we only had to hold in a few more days, and we could finally tell everyone, which is pretty much what it was. We had spent a week talking to each other about the pros and cons of eloping, and we were both of the opinions that it was what we wanted.

One of the most challenging questions to answer, though, was should we tell anyone before we married that we would do it alone. Noah had argued that his family had seen him get married once, and he gave them everything they wanted, and this time he was going to do what he wanted, so he didn't feel the need to tell them. I had agreed but for different reasons. I knew the minute Jess found out she would hound me until she was invited, and she would scold me for not inviting Mum. Ultimately, I decided that asking for forgiveness was better than asking for permission, and we agreed not to tell anyone.

We spent the next week booking flights, accommodation, the wedding chapel and making sure we had all the paperwork.

We got to the hotel pretty late on Friday night. We had to get up in the morning, go to the courthouse for a license and be at the chapel that afternoon. We ordered room service and sat in bed, wearing just our robes watching a movie. We were both pretty wired, but sometime during that evening, our moods had shifted. I was calm and relaxed about our impending nuptials, and Noah seemed to be anxious. By about one in the morning, I had fallen asleep while Noah watched another movie.

Sometime later, I was woken by Noah's wandering hands.

"What time is it?" I asked. Noah's beard was tickling my neck as he gave me little kisses under my ear. His hands roamed my bare stomach pulling back the robe I had fallen asleep in. Even half asleep, his touch ignited a fire in my belly.

"I don't know," he said. His voice was gravelly and rough. "I need you, Vix." His tone made my heart ache and my core clench.

"I'm here, Noah," I assured him. I rolled over to face him and put my arms around him.

"You're so soft, Vix," Noah said in the dark. He opened my robe further, and his mouth found my nipple. He took it gently in his mouth. I felt it travel like lightning to my core, and I held his head to my chest while my fingers scratched at his hair.

I took my robe off and wrapped my body around him. I kissed him with long and languid kisses as my hands softly stroked his powerful back.

I reached between us to seek out his sex and found it rigid and velvety in my hand. Noah made a wordless plea, and I enfolded my hand around him. With delicate movements, I explored his length as his grip on me tightened.

"Fuck, Vix, that feels so good." He groaned, and his hips thrust into my hand. Feeling his body surge under my touch was exhilarating, and I craved more.

With my other hand, I gave Noah a demanding shove against his shoulder, rolling him onto his back. It was too dark to see his reaction, but I heard his cry of surprise, followed by his deep growl of satisfaction when he felt his dick pierce my soaked core.

I impaled myself at an agonisingly slow pace, enjoying the frustrated utterances flowing from Noah's throat. His hands gripped my hips, and though his desire thrilled me, I slapped his hands away. "Don't touch," I chided.

"Fuck, Vix, you're killing me here." Noah rumbled. I continued my slow descent down his thick cock with a smirk on my face, feeling my walls hugging him until he was fully immersed.

"Noah," I murmured as I started to rock. "Your cock feels so fucking good."

"Victoria," Noah said, his voice sounded stern.

I ignored his warning and continued my restrained grinding. It does feel good, and I feel the pressure increase between my thighs. I leaned back and supported my weight on Noah's powerful thighs.

"Oh my God," I cried, my voice husky with pleasure as this new position hits my spot just right.

The room is suddenly bright. My eyes seek Noah, and I see his hand withdraw from the lamp. I raised my eyebrow, but I don't stop my grinding, it feels too good, and I'm too close.

"I had to see you, Kitten," Noah said. "You sounded too fucking good." Panting and moaning, I watched Noah take me in, his eyes roaming my body until he catches mine. He licked his lips, his desire plain on his face. "You look good riding your Daddy."

"Fuck," I cried. I felt sweat break out on my forehead. I buck wildly against him, searching for my release. Then I feel the warmth radiate from my core, and there was no stopping the primal cry as I came undone around his cock.

I was thrown on my back, and gathering my legs onto his shoulder, Noah bore into my trembling centre. He drove into me without mercy, his whole body thrown behind each thrust. With a deep grunting bellow, I felt him swell as each stream of his emission released into me.

Crashing onto the bed and turning the light off, he scooped me in close, and his arms wrapped possessively around me. "God damn, Kitten," he said, kissing my neck. I wriggled in close to him and laced my fingers in his. "I love you, Vix," he whispered.

"I love you too, Noah," I said. Noah hummed in my ear, squeezing me. Quickly his breathing fell into a slow deep rhythm, and together, we fell asleep.

**************************

"Alright now, Sugar. You ready to get hitched?"

I tried really hard not to piss myself laughing. I mean, this was fucking surreal. Elvis was about to walk me down the aisle. And I was going to get married. In Las Vegas. To Noah.

Taking a deep breath, I focussed my thoughts on Noah. I looked to the closed doors of the chapel and back to Elvis. He had the ridiculous pompadour and gold jacket of the 1950s Elvis. He was perfect.

I nodded, "I'm ready."

The doors opened, and I saw my Noah, standing at the end of the aisle, only a short distance away, but my legs felt like jelly, and he may as well have been across the world. He was so handsome. He wore black dress pants and a simple white shirt. The top few buttons of his shirt were open, revealing his dark hair adorning his broad chest. Noah's hair was freshly cut, and since he had grown it, it had started to get a sexy wave that threatened to turn into curls if he grew it further. His blue eyes shined brightly against his tanned skin. His short, tidy beard no longer hid his strong jaw, and I could see him clenching it as I walked in.

The music started, and Elvis began to sing Love Me Tender. I had to giggle. This whole place was the most absurd yet most awesome venue I had ever seen. Noah chuckled too, but as I got closer, I noticed the tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

My heart was in my throat, and I felt my own tears pool in my eyes. Elvis passed me to Noah, and he gripped my hands so hard I thought he'd break them. I winced, and he eased his hold.

Leaning down to my ear, Noah said, "sorry. You're just so gorgeous, Kitten." He stood back and smiled at me. Smiling back at him, a tear fell down my cheek. He covered my cheek with his hand, and I leaned into it.

The song finished, and after a quick few words, suddenly Elvis asked, "Do you, Noah, take Victoria to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

In a firm, gravelly voice, he said, "I do."

"Do you, Victoria, take Noah to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

I said, "I do." The smile that broke across Noah's lips was so comically big, I giggled again and squeezed his hands.

After a few words about marriage, Noah was prompted to get place my ring on my finger. He removed the ring from his pinky finger. It hadn't even made it past the first knuckle on his massive hands.

Noah repeated the vows as said to him and slid my ring home. "Victoria Anne Davis, I take you to be my loving wife, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer, for now, and forever." He held my eyes with his, and I felt the raw honesty of his words.

It was my turn, and I pulled his ring off my thumb and slipped it down his finger. "Noah Henry Syverson, I take you to be my loving husband..." I repeated the vow, looking into Noah's captivating eyes, so blue and clear I felt like I could drown in his gaze.

I know a few more things were said, but the next thing I registered was "kiss the bride."

Noah wasted no time and said, "jump, Vix." And I jumped into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. "Kiss me, Mrs Syverson," he growled, and I pressed my lips against his. I melted into his lips as he kissed me back. His kiss was a reflection of who he was, fierce, eager, and so full of love. My whole body felt on fire with a passion that I knew would never end.


End file.
